The Sound of Ninja
by Maya-chan2007
Summary: Okay, so Sasuke's dead wife liked to pick random kids off the street and adopt them, Sakura's been kicked out her convent life, and Shino can sing. No, really. Loosly based off of Sound of Music, though it doesn't look like it. Hiatus *Sorry, guys!*
1. Chapter 1

It was early afternoon, when Sakura decided that while she was skipping Nun-school, she should take a break, and walk through

**(A/N: uh, well. This is my first story, and I'm sure that you're tired of hearing it, so I won't say it again. For the sake of the reviewers. Ha ha. Anyways, this is about how Sakura got discharged from nun school, or whatever it is, and has to work for Sasuke. He's emo cause (he actually has a reason now) his wife died, leaving him with 13 teenagers. They aren't theirs. His dead wife just had a weird habit of picking up random kids up off the street. Luckily for her, they were orphans. But they never bothered to adopt them. So be prepared for parings. Oh, and for a special sneak peak of somewhere near the end, Hidan is going to do the wedding ceremony. With Jashinism. Interested yet? If so, continue reading. If not, sorry to waste your time. Now, on with the story…)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Story is not mine, it's Kishimoto-san's. And plot is loosely based on Sound Of Music. So don't expect it to be entirely the same.**

It was early afternoon, when Sakura decided that while she was skipping Nun-school, she should take a break, and walk through the hills. As she was doing so, she decided to sing a little.

"_The hills are alive, with the sound of music._ Nah, that sounds corny. Okay, how about _Debbie just hit the wall! She never had it all._ Wait. Am I sure that I'm cut out to be a nun? Oh well," murmured Sakura. She was walking along the rocks in the middle of the stream, when she caught sight of the Reverend Mother, Lady Tsunade. Who just so happened to be slightly drunk **(A/N: only slightly?)** and collecting random herbs.

"Lady Tsunade, what are you doing out here, aren't you supposed to be at morning chapel?" asked Sakura, walking over to the reverend mother.

"Oh? And what about you? Aren't you skipping as well?" asked Tsunade, getting up.

"Oh, well, I- oh shit, Lady Tsunade! Sister Shizune's gonna be looking for us! And I doubt we could pull off the whole " We went down to the village to save sinners who were too far gone to actually step foot in the church, and you're their to show me the ropes" thing again! Especially after she's been checking into the village, to see if we're telling the truth! You'd think she doesn't trust us or something…" rambled Sakura.

"Sakura! You're rambling! We'll think of something when we get there, for now, come on!" shouted Tsunade, running in the direction of the abbey. Sakura followed along behind.

After fifteen minutes of hard running, they finally made it to the abbey. Fortunately, they were in time for mass. Unfortunately, Shizune was waiting outside for them.

"Reverend Mother, Sister Sakura. You seem to have missed morning chapel. Reverend Mother, _YOU_ were supposed to lead us. Instead, I had to." said Shizune, barely controlling her anger.

"And I'm sure you did a wonderful job Shizune, you have my thanks. Now come along now, Sakura. I have something I need to discuss with you." said Tsunade, trying to avoid divine punishment, wrought by Shizune. Unfortunately, as every nun and monk, and other religious official know, sinners have to be divinely punished.

"No, you will not leave, Sister Sakura! I can't make you stay, Reverend Mother, but you both need to here this! This is the 598th time that both of you have been absent from a service or duties, just this month! There aren't even 598 _days_ in a month! Now, Sister Sakura, since you are new here, I can _maybe_ see where you _might_ think that it is okay to skip a service here or there. But _you_ Lady Tsunade, as Reverend Mother, there _is_ no excuse for you! You should be leading the newbie's in _proper nun etiquette_! Instead, you're just- Hey! Are you two listening to me?" screeched Shizune in outrage.

"Yeah, yeah. It's just that you give this speech every time we get caught." said Sakura, quickly putting her sock puppet of Shizune away.

"You know how to not have me say this again?" asked Shizune in a deadly quiet voice.

"Don't- get caught?" asked Sakura sheepishly.

"No! Don't make trouble in the first place!" shouted Shizune.

"Call down Shizune; you'll bust a vein, or an artery. Also, you're starting to get high blood pressure…" said Tsunade, bored with the conversation, and her sacramental wine, aka sake, was starting to go away, leaving her sober.

"And who's making me have high blood pressure, huh?" asked Shizune, to nobody in particular while shaking her hands in the air.

"Uh, heh heh? Um, sorry?" mumbled Sakura.

"Sorry she says, sorry, but will sorry fix my health? Will it change the fact that she is never here for services, yet wants to be a nun? Will it, oh Kami-sama? Please help your poor servant!" said Shizune to the sky again.

"Ano, Sister Shizune? I don't really need help from Kami-sama, I'll just start coming to services."

"Who said the help was entirely for you?"

By now, Tsunade's alcohol had completely gone from here system, so she was sober. And Sober-Tsunade did not like to hear groveling, unless it was for mercy from her. She's a strange Reverend Mother.

"Alright, that's enough groveling Shizune, I'll talk to her. Sakura, wait in my office/chamber thing, I have something that I need to tell you." said Tsunade, taking charge for once. Shizune stood in awe, her life's dream fulfilled. Sakura just looked at her quizzically, and at Shizune like she was crazy, which she has been lately, since Sakura joined the chapel. As Sakura left, Shizune turned to Tsunade.

"Reverend Mother, out of curiosity, where were you two? And don't tell me that you were in town, that was the first place that I looked." asked Shizune.

"Hm? Oh, we were, uh…" Tsunade looked down at her hand for ideas, and saw the herbs that she was gathering. "Oh, yeah, we were collecting herbs, and I was teaching Sakura how to identify and how to use the herbs."

"Oh really? 'Cause those herbs are poisonous."

"Well, yeah, I was teaching her how to make antidotes out of them, to counteract the poison." Tsunade thought up on the spot.

"What did you use to test the poisons and antidotes?"

"Oh, local village children who called my old and ugly."

"Reverend Mother!"

"Oh please, Shizune, I'm joking. Anyways, what do you think of Sakura? As a nun and as a person?"

**A/n: So, I'll leave it there for now. Please, tell me what you think. If you like it, love it , want some more of it, just push the little review button, and tell me. If you hate it, despise it, and want to flame me, that would be okay. 'Cause I can't get it out of my mind of my first review being a flame. That would be funny. But don't feel compelled to give me a flame. Only if you don't like it. Any ideas, suggestions, I might use them, depends on how I want the story to go. Oh, and pairings have already been decided.**


	2. Problem like Sakura

"What do I think of Sister Sakura

**An: Hey all! This is the second chapter in The Sound Of Ninja. In the first chapter, I forgot to add a few things, like this is AU, no, not gold, Alternate Universe. And I'm trying to not make the character's ooc, but I'm also trying to make them fit the character's I want them to be. So, sorry if anyone's offended. Oh, and Special Special Thanks to my friend SilverxWolf, for being my first reviewer! And you added me Author Alert, your Favorite Author's list, and to Story Alert! That has made me happier than anything, so thank you! Oh, and next chapter, when Sasuke appears, since you asked, the chapter is getting dedicated to you! Again, thank you so much for helping me get started!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, and I am happy. Imagine the ramen and takeout bills, not to mention the property damage. And counseling for those who need it. Also, I do not own the Sound of Music, nor any songs that I may use. I also do not own the book/movie It. Steven King does, and he can keep it. **

**Guide to T.S.O.N.: **_italics_ **mean emphasis, and any thoughts that the characters may have. **_**Bold Italics**_** are lyrics that have been made into the conversations. Unless it's an extreme emphasis. I think that's it.**

** Chapter Two: Problem like Sakura**

"What do I think of Sister Sakura? As a person and as a nun? Well, I'd have to say that she's a wonderful person, but a horrible nun. And I'm not just saying that because when she first got here, I had to go in for psychiatric counseling. She's just, one of those people who's a good person, but horrible at what they've decided to do with themselves as a career. Why do you ask, Reverend Mother?" asked Shizune, glancing quizzically at Tsunade.

"I ask because I'm debating on whether or not to let Sakura leave the convent, and discover in her absence if this is really the life for her." said Tsunade, gazing into the distance in thought.

"You mean she's gonna be a dropout? And while she's a dropout, your giving her a grace period to decide if she's serious about coming back to the convent?" asked Shizune, as she tried to get Tsunade's attention, even going so far as to pull out the sacramental wine. But keeping it out of reach, of course.

"Well, yes, but I didn't want to say it so bluntly- oh for Kami's sake, Shizune, give me the damn wine already!" exclaimed Tsunade, lunging for the wine. Shizune kept it away, though.

"…and you're supposed to be our Reverend Mother? Oh, Kami-sama, help us all. So when are you going to tell Sister (or should I say ex-Sister?) Sakura that's she's kicked out?"

"She is not kicked out. There will always be a place for her here, but only if there is nothing holding her down. So I'm letting her go, to see if she really wants a life here. It's the least I can do for her, after what happened to her, poor dear. Ha, got it Shizune! You shouldn't of let you guard down!" cheered Tsunade, who finally got her alcohol. It helped that Shizune is a sucker for sob stories (it's how Tsunade and Sakura got away with all that they had been able to get away for how long that they had.), so she let her guard down, and that's Tsunade was able to procure her beloved booze. **(An: wow, that was some fancy wording.)**

"Lady Tsunade, really! Must you always try to get as drunk as you can on Holy Sunday, right after mass, which you always seem to miss?!" said an exasperated Shizune.

"Why, yes, I do. But anyways, back to the matter at hand. Why don't you think that Sakura is right for the Holy Life? She's a good nun, if we can get her to come to chapel. Which I'm sure we can." said Tsunade as she was guzzling her coveted wine. This was really sake that she switches out regularly.

Shizune could only shake her head at her mentor, who was making a fool out of herself. Luckily, the rest of the convent was at supper. So nobody but Shizune could see the exulted Lady Tsunade act like a lush. Shizune decided to answer her boss.

"Well, for instance, _**She climbs a tree, and skins her knee. Her dress has got a tear."**_

"That's because some of the local urchins decided to lose their kite in the tree. She was trying to help them, when she fell." defended Tsunade, trying to help her (secret) favorite disciple.

"But do you have to repair her robes when she tears them? No? Well I do. And believe you me, it's not fun, especially if there are grass stains, and any other stains on there. Why, Kami-sama, did you make me the laundress?"

"Are there any other complaints that you have against our beloved little Cherry Blossom?" asked Tsunade in a slightly aggravated tone.

"Oh, I'm just getting started. _**She waltzes on her way to Mass and whistles on the stair."**_

"So she's cheerful and happy. Are you going to discourage that in the convent now? Be happy (oh, sorry. Forgot that wasn't allowed) and grateful that she's even going to Mass."

"Your right. That's more than I can say for you, Lady Tsunade."

"No need to get snippy. And anyways, aren't you forgetting something?"

"_sigh._ Yes, Reverend Mother. Can I continue, Reverend Mother?"

"By all means. I want to see if you have anything else against normal, healthy emotions and actions."

"I don't have anything against them, they're just not appropriate in the convent. _Some_ happiness is okay," said Shizune, seeing that Tsunade was going to interrupt her again. "But there is a time and place for everything."

"Oh, will you get on with it already?"

"Fine, fine. _**Underneath her wimple**__…_"

"Wait, what's a wimple?"

"…Are you sure you're the Reverend Mother? Sigh, a wimple's what the younger, not-quite-nun's wear on their heads."

"Ah, I see. So what's underneath her wimple? Heh, wimple. That's an amusing word."

"Can we be serious for just one second, Lady Tsunade?"

"What happened to 'Reverend Mother'?"

"You were Lady Tsunade to me before you were Reverend Mother, so that's what I'll call you, unless we are around the rest of the ladies. Shall I continue on with what is wrong with Sakura?"

"Heh, what happened to 'Sister Sakura', Shizune?"

"Reverend Mother…"

"Fine, fine, continue."

"Well, _**Underneath her wimple, she has curlers in her hair**__."_

"So, she just wants to keep up with her hair. A girl's hair is important to her." explained Tsunade. Shizune was starting to feel the onset of a migraine.

"While that may be true, it is also a symbol of vanity. Vanity is a sin. And for a nun, even if she's a newbie, a nun-in-training, she _cannot_ be expressing vanity."

"_Spoilsport" _Tsunade whispered.

"Did you say something, Lady Tsunade?"

"Uh, yes, I said please continue with your report."

"This isn't a report, it's just a list of complaints." said Shizune.

"Oh, good. I hate reports. Luckily, I don't have to worry about them here." said Tsunade happily.

"Uh, right. Anyways, _**I've even heard her singing in the abbey**__."_

"But, we always sing in the abbey!" exclaimed Tsunade. "You're just jealous of her singing voice. And envy's a deadly sin, Shizune." Tsunade elatedly pointed out.

"So's gloating. And we only sing when there's _mass._ She sings in there all the time, disrupting the others from their prayers. We've even started to get complaints from-_**THEM.**_ They say that the singing is going against Jashin, oh, Jashin-_sama,_" Shizune said mockingly. Tsunade gasped in surprise and disgust. The followers of Jashinism, coincidentally men, were the followers of Kami-ism's greatest enemies and rivals. There were rumors of the Reverend Father's tongue, how he curses with practically every word. **(An: hmmm, wonder who that could be?)** There were even rumors that they sheltered a great organization of assassins, thieves, and ne'er-do-wells. There was also a rumor that they were all avid trench coat wearer's. Black, with red clouds. They also apparently had bad fashion sense. But they could do great weddings and barmitzvas. Also, coincidently, because of an economic down fall that resulted from some conqueror trying to take over, they had to share a monastery/cathedral-thing. To their immense joy.

"Hissss! How dare those degenerate's say such things! Well, Sakura will be going on an -errand- for me. _That_ should keep them happy and leave us alone for a while. So anything else I should know about Sakura?"

"Oh, I've only just started." stated Shizune.

"Of course."

"_**She's always late for chapel**__…"_ said/sang Shizune.

"_**But her penitence is real**__."_ insisted Tsunade.

"_**She's always late for everything, except for every meal**__."_ conceded Shizune. Everyone in the convent knew that despite her small frame, she was the heartiest eater there.

"That just means that she has a healthy appetite. And she's a growing girl. So she needs to eat big." defended Tsunade.

"Not in a convent. We're supposed to abstain from worldly desires. You could do with another lesson on that subject."

"I don't need any of your lip, Shizune. Just tell me what else you have to say." said Tsunade, a little grumpy because her sake was gone. She decided to go in search of more. Shizune decided to follow, to continue her lecture.

"_**I hate to have to say it, but I very firmly feel that Sakura's not**__**an asset to the abbey**__."_ Shizune tried to explain to Tsunade, as they were walking up the stairs that lead to the "Sacramental Wine" room, passing to nun's-in-training along the way.

"Good evening, Reverend Mother, Sister Shizune." muttered the trainee's as they hurried past.

"…Huh? Oh, yes, good evening. Remember, always follow the teaching's of Kami-sama." said Tsunade, trying to act the part of "Reverend Mother." Apparently, she's good at pretending, because the only one's that knew the truth about her being who she was, and not the holy head of the convent, were Shizune, Sakura, and herself. The trainee's passed, and they started their conversation again.

"Why Shizune, I can't believe that you would say such things about Sakura. She's the one who brings in our donations, what with her pretty looks and her lovely voice at charity talent shows. She's a great asset here."

"Yes, I'll admit that she's quite good at bringing in donations, but she also has a bit of a temper. Remember when that one villager thought that it would be funny to flirt with a nun, and he happened to choose Sakura? How she sent him flying with a punch, and then proceeded to pummel him? She had to repent for two weeks after that. And that was with us going easy on her."

"Well, that creep shouldn't have been trying to flirt with a nun." stated Tsunade, entering the wine storage room. She started looking for one, until one caught her eye; she decided to choose that one.

Meanwhile with Sakura

Sakura was sitting in Tsunade's office, waiting patiently for Tsunade to get back to her office and talk to her about some proposal that she has. Pretty much the only thing that she knows about it is that it has something to do with "Charity Work."

"I hope Lady Tsunade gets here soon."

Back with Tsunade and Shizune and the booze

"Well, I can understand where you might think that Sakura doesn't belong here, but _**I would like to say a word on her behalf**__."_ said Tsunade while chugging the "sacramental wine."

"Oh? And what would that be, Reverend Mother?" asked Shizune, temporarily distracted from chastising Tsunade about the booze by her curiosity.

"_**Sakura makes me laugh**__."_ said Tsunade, a little tipsy from the wine that was actually sake.

"Reverend Mother, that may be all well and good, but that doesn't solve our problem about Sakura." stated Shizune, looking confused.

"There's a problem with Sakura?" slurred Tsunade through her alcohol.

"Yes, there is. Well, to be more specific, there's a question. _**How do you solve a problem like Sakura? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down**__…"_ asked Shizune.

(Shikamaru: don't pin the cloud down. That would be troublesome. Let it go free.

Me: Hey, you're not supposed to be here yet! Go away, or you'll regret it.

Shikamaru: How so?

Me: ShikaTsunade. That says it all.

Shikamaru: I'll go now.)

"Yes, but Sakura is unique. After all, _**How do you find a word**__**that means Sakura**__?_ Other than cherry blossom, that is." said Tsunade.

"Well, that's easy. _**A flibbertijibbet, a will-o'-the-wisp, a clown**__!_ Take your pick!" exclaimed Shizune.

"Your words could be taken as hurtful, Shizune. And nun's aren't supposed to act that way, are they?" taunted Tsunade.

"Please be serious for once, Lady Tsunade. There's _**Many a thing**__**you'd like to tell her. Many a thing she ought to understand**__."_ said Shizune to Tsunade, trying to get her attention from the rest of the unopened bottles of brandy that were given as donations.

"If you have all of these complaints, then why don't you take them up with Sakura herself?" asked Tsunade, trying to understand through her slowly beginning hangover why she hadn't asked her before.

"Yes, _**But how do you make her stay and listen to what you**__**say**__?_" said Shizune exasperatedly, trying not to yell at her mentor and boss. "It's like asking _**How do you keep a wave upon the sand**__?"_

(Gaara: Sand doesn't need waves on it. It would make the sand wet, and thus unusable.

Me: Not you too, Gaara. You're not here yet, so you and everyone else need to be patient until you do.

Gaara: Fine.

Me: Thanks. At least I didn't have to threaten you.)

"Why would you need to keep a wave upon the sand? Seems kind of pointless to me." said Tsunade. Yes, she was sufficiently drunk by now.

(Me: Gaara, don't say anything, and Shukaku won't be a part of this story to give you insomnia.

Gaara: Then how do you expect to explain the rings around my eyes?

Me: Birthmark.

Gaara: At least it isn't eyeliner.)

"_**Oh, how do you solve a problem like Sakura? How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?**__"_ Shizune asked the ceiling, which seemed to be the only thing at the moment that was listening to her. "Lady Tsunade, I must say that I just don't understand her."

"Don't understand her? What do you mean?" asked Tsunade, who chose to finally listen to Shizune.

"Well, it's just that _**When I'm with her I'm confused, out of focus and bemused, and I never know exactly where I am. Unpredictable as the weather, she's as flighty as a feather**__…"_ explained Shizune.

"What do you mean the weather is unpredictable? Just listen for the weather on the news, and you'll know. And she's not that flighty! _She's a darling!"_ exclaimed Tsunade, trying to get her point across to Shizune.

"_**She's a demon**__!_" stated Shizune.

"_**She's a lamb**__!"_ defended Tsunade.

"Listen here, Lady Tsunade, _**She'd outpester any pest, drive a hornet from its nest, she could throw a whirling dervish out of whirl."**_

"_**She is gentle**__…"_ started Tsunade.

"_**She is wild**__!" _cut in Shizune.

"_**She's a riddle, she's a child**__." _defended Tsunade.

"_**She's a headache,**_** is what she is**." stated Shizune.

"_**She's an angel**__!"_ shouted Tsunade.

"How about this, _**She's a girl**__."_ said Shizune, compromising.

With Sakura Again

"Ah-choooo! Is someone talking about me?" Sakura wondered for about the 30th time.

Back again with the boozer and her apprentice

"Ugh, Lady Tsunade, _**How do you solve a problem like Sakura? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?**_**"** whined Shizune.

(Shikamaru: Holding up a sign that says _Don't be troublesome, free the clouds!_

Me: What did I say about interrupting?

Shikamaru: I'll be leaving now.

Me: That's better)

"Like I said before, there is no problem with Sakura. She's just being herself." interjected Tsunade. "She's just so, so, what? _**How do**__**you find a word that means Sakura**__?_ Except for the obvious 'cherry blossom.'"

"Oh, that's easy. _**A flibertijibbet, a will-o'-the-wisp, a clown**__!"_ said Shizune sarcastically. Tsunade, however, due to inebriation, didn't catch the sarcastic part.

"Huh? But clowns are awesome, everyone loves clowns! Except if they've seen or read It. Have you read It? Is that why you have a thing against clowns, Shizune?" Tsunade slurred. Then she decided that after this talk about Sakura and how she'll have to talk to her later, that she should get more bombed. So she left to go to the other winery-storage place. Yes, the convent has more than one, just for Tsunade. As she's the only one who drinks.

"Oh, Lady Tsunade, you know that there's _**Many a thing you'd**__**like to tell her, many a thing she ought to under stand**__._ Thing is, _**But how do you make her stay, and listen to all you say?"**_ Shizune foolishly asked Tsunade, who was smashed out of this world by now. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time that she's been like that, and it won't be the last. Luckily, Tsunade decided to listen.

"Yeah, but askin' all that ish like ashkin' _**How do you keep a wave upon the sand?"**_

(Me: Gaara, say anything and your sister ends up turning traitor and your brother goes insane and sells himself to a brothel. A _cheap_ brothel.

Gaara: That would be both amusing and disturbing to see. I'll stay quiet.

Me: You always were the one with sense.)

"_**Oh, how do you solve a problem like Sakura? How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?"**_ said Shizune.

"Ugh, that's enough of this kind of talk. I think I'm sufficiently smashed. Time to go tell Sakura that she's kicked out." mumbled Tsunade, as she was heading to her office. Shizune followed her out.

"But Lady Tsunade, I thought you said that she was just going away on a 'mission' that you need her to do, to see if she's really ready to become a nun?" questioned Sakura.

"And you actually believed me? I thought you knew me, Shizune." chuckled Tsunade.

"Reverend Mother!" exclaimed Shizune.

"I was just joking, joking." said Tsunade in a claming matter. _At least mostly._ She thought.

Shizune decided that Tsunade could handle this herself, and she would just interfere, so she left to return to what was left of dinner and Mass. Tsunade walked calmly to her office, to tell Sakura about her proposition.

When she got to her office, Sakura was there, of course, waiting, and making sure she wouldn't sneeze again. Tsunade walked in, and stepped over to behind her desk.

"Ah, Sakura. I'm glad that you're still here. You haven't been waiting too long, I hope?" Tsunade asked her cheerfully.

"Lady Tsunade, does alcohol make you say crap, or does it have to do with whatever you have to talk to me about, and it's bad?" asked Sakura slightly innocently. coughnotcoughcough

"Stop being so insolent, I didn't teach you to act this way in front of your Reverend Mother! Now show some respect!" snapped Tsunade, the alcohol making her irritable.

"Sorry Reverend Mother, I'm just a little apprehensive about what you would want to talk to me about in the privacy of you office." apologized Sakura, bowing her head slightly.

"Ah, that's okay. I'm just a little irritable. It's because I have an offer for you."

"What kind of offer?" asked Sakura, curious at what offer would make her mentor upset.

"Well, a friend of mine has told me about a friend of his, who needs a new governess for his children. And since you're so good with children, I thought of you." Tsunade said, sugar-coating the facts some.

"Ooooooo! I love kids! I'll take it!" said Sakura, ignoring some important facts that might make a difference, like how many kids, how old are they, why it is a _new_ governess, and what happened to the other governesses.

"Just like that? Okay. Well, you probably want to know some things about them." explained Tsunade.

"Oh? Like what?" asked Sakura, finally back down to earth.

"Well, there are thirteen children that you will be looking after…" started Tsunade.

"THIRTEEN KIDS!! They must have really been in love!" exclaimed Sakura.

"Actually, according to my sources, I mean, my friend, is that his wife, who's deceased now, heaven bless her, liked to adopt kids. So they are not really his. Oh, and the man who you will be employed to is Uchiha Sasuke. You know, the ridiculously wealthy captain in the Konoha Military Force, whose private life is shadowed in mystery. And lucky you, you get to be his children's governess! Aren't you happy? Oh, and another thing that I've heard is that he's quite handsome. But remember; keep you private life and your work life separate. Or you might end up regretting it later…" Tsunade trailed off, looking in the distance with a strange look in her eyes that Sakura didn't recognize. Pain, maybe? Or regret? At any rate, Sakura now had a new job to do, and she excused herself from Tsunade's office to go pack.

Unfortunately, there were several things that made her leaving a moot point. To some people that is. When the rest of the convent had heard what was happening, they started a conga line. And they were already betting on how long she'd stay away, or if she would even make it. Also, any clothes that she had were given away to charity a long time ago, so all she had to wear was a rather ugly forest green. With yellow trim. Lacy trim.

Needless to say, Sakura was a little dispirited as she was saying goodbye to the Reverend Mother and Shizune, the only nun's there that actually tolerated and liked her. Yes, even Shizune liked Sakura; she just got a little annoyed at her every now and then. Like whenever she would skip out on mass.

"Goodbye, Lady Tsunade! Sister Shizune! When this job is over, I'll come back, and I'll be an even better nun than you, Sister Shizune!" said Sakura, as she waved goodbye and walked away.

"You'd think that she was leaving to train to be a nun, or something." commented Shizune.

"In a way, she is. But let's stop talking about training. It's a rather depressing topic." muttered Tsunade to herself.

With Sakura on the road to the bus stop

"Heh heh, this is going to be fun! I love kids! I hope that we can be friends! Ah shoot! I should have asked how old they were. Oh well, I'll find out soon…" said Sakura to herself, as she passed the village that was next to the convent. Silently, she said goodbye, and made her way to her next adventure- babysitting!

**An: Well, that's the second chapter. Hope you like it, and please review! Incase I haven't said this yet, this is my first fanfic, so please review. I'll even take flames, but regular reviews are preferred. So please review! Next Chapter, Sakura meets Sasuke, and the kids! And boy, is she in for a surprise! Also, hints of pairings!**


	3. Sasuke's here

**Hi there, it's me, Maya-chan2007 again. And here's the next chapter of The Sound Of Ninja! Whoo! So, sit back, and enjoy. Oh, and this chapter is Special Dedicated to SilverxWolf, for being my first (and so far only) reviewer! And you asked especially when Sasuke was coming in the story. Well, he's here! Yep, he's made his appearance. So, if anyone else has any questions about The Sound Of Ninja, just review in! After you read the chapter!**

**Guide to TSON: **_**Bold italic**_: Song lyrics.

_Regular Italics_: Sakura's or anyone else's thoughts.

_Underlined Italics_: Inner Sakura.

Regular: Everything else.

Sakura was making her way through town on her way to the bus stop, when she suddenly was overcome by a wave of panic. _**What will this day be like, I wonder? What will my future be like, I wander?**_ she thought as she grasped at her chest, which was suddenly tightening. _Wait,_ Sakura thought. _Why am I so worried?_ With that, she started walking again.

"_**It could be so exciting to be out in the world, to be free…"**_ Sakura sang a little to herself, trying to convince herself. "_**My world should be wildly rejoicing. **_I mean, I'm finally leaving the convent. For the first time since I've been six, I'm leaving the convent. Right? So, I should be happy that I'm getting this chance, right? _**Oh what's the matter with me?**_" she asked herself out loud, drawing strange stares from the various random villagers who happen to be awake at 5 in the morning. Because although she found out that she had a "mission" at around 7:50-ish, what with the rest of the convent in an uproar celebrating (who knew that some of the Sisters could break-dance?), she couldn't actually pack until a little after midnight, and of course it was dark and hard to see, so she didn't leave until 4:30. But anyways, she made her way past some children (whose parents were already setting up shop) playing, and found her new wind.

"_**I've always longed for adventure, to do the things I've never dared. **_Like actually leave the convent for a period longer than a few hours. And look after kids and get paid for it. Wait, am I getting paid? Maybe that's factored into room and board._** And here I'm facing adventure."**_ she said while puffing up a little in excitement and pride. Then she suddenly deflated. "_**Then why am I so scared?**_**"** she mumbled. She started off again, after glancing at the children who were playing rather actively for 5 in the morning.

"_**A captain with 13 children. What's so fearsome about that?**_ After all, I've had to look after three times that before, at the fundraising festivals. And I'm sure that they are all adorable! I wonder how old they are. Probably there are a few who are teenagers. Maybe I can get them to help me with the rest. Oh, I wonder if there are any babies! I love babies! Oh, and most likely, they are between the ages of 5 and 9. Maybe even 10 and 11. I hope they get along. I hope we get along. Will they like me? Just because the village children did, doesn't mean that they will. Oh, this whole thing sucks. No, stay positive. _**Oh, I must stop these doubts, all these worries. If I don't, I just know I'll turn back. I must dream of the things I am seeking.**_" Sakura said to reassure herself. _But what is it that I am seeking? __**I am seeking the courage I lack.**_ _And why am I saying and thinking "seeking" when I would normally say looking? And yeah, where is my courage? This job is so gonna give me premature wrinkles and crowfeet, and will probably give me gray hair while I'm at it,_ she thought pessimistically. Sakura continued to shuffle her way to the bus stop. Yes, she was definitely scaring the locals with her mood changes from happy to sad to determined to depression to excitement to finally pessimism. By now, they were all wondering; _does she have bipolar disorder or something? _Well, we shouldn't disappoint them, now should we?

_Are you done with your sulking yet? 'Cause if so, then hurry up and get to the bus station already, we're about to miss-nope, we've just missed the bus. Hope you're happy._ said a voice in her head. Yes, folks, it's inner Sakura.

_What? We've missed the bus? Dammit, and the next bus doesn't come around for another 15 minutes! What are we gonna do? By the way, haven't heard from you in a while. Where have you been?_ thought Sakura to her inner self as she finally reached the bus stop with 14 minutes to go. 14 minutes 57 seconds… 54 seconds… Okay, I'll stop.

_Well, I haven't been around because you've been pathetic in that convent, and when you started to get even more pathetic about wondering if you would "fit in", I finally had it. As to what we're going to do, most likely you're going to panic some more, and I'm going to make fun of you._

_But, that would mean that you're making fun of yourself, 'cause we're the same person. And what do you mean I was "pathetic" back at the convent?_

_Well, when the other Sister's started partying when they found out that we were leaving, normal us would have kicked their ass's, or at least yelled at them some. But instead, you let them get away with it, and even waited 'till they were done before you started packing. That's what I mean by pathetic. I don't even know you anymore, or for that matter, Lady Tsunade._

_Well, I was a little caught up with looking forward to leaving._ Sakura thought defensively. _And what do you mean "you don't know Lady Tsunade anymore?" Is that because she's been acting a little depressed since we found out that Orochimaru's started to invade us? Of course she'd be upset about that, after all, he was her friend until he decided to take over the world._

_Sigh, just forget I said anything. And get back to what you were saying about "seeking courage." I need a nap, anyways._

"Hey! That was just rude!" Sakura suddenly burst out, scaring the guy who was sitting next to her on the bench, contemplating picking her pocket.

"O-oh! S-sorry, uh, I won't do it again! I-I'll just be g-going now! Please forgive and excuse me!" the would-be pickpocket stuttered, moving away quickly. He then decided that he should go the convent, or possibly the monastery, to repent. After all, it was folly and a sin to try to pickpocket a pretty girl, even if that girl happened to have Tiretz, **(An: however you spell that. The condition where you randomly shout things. Most likely swear words, or so I hear.),** and could read minds. How else could she have known? But anyways, since the only other person there is now gone, she decided to answer her inner self.

"I'll have _**The courage to show them with reliance, face my mistakes without defiance, **_and_** show them I'm worthy. And while I show them, I'll show me.**_

_Great idea. And how do you plan to do that?_ commented inner Sakura.

"_**So, let them bring on all their problems."**_ Sakura pressed on, ignoring her inner self, which left Inner Sakura to grumble to herself, thoroughly pissed off. But back to our protagonist. "_**I'll do better than my best. I have confidence they'll put me to the test. But I'll make them see, I have confidence in me!"**_

_Yeah, I've already heard that. So what exactly are you going to __**do**__ to prove your confidence?_ Inner Sakura asked again, a little irritable by now.

"Uh, well, um, _**Somehow I will impress them. I will be firm but kind."**_ Answered Sakura, trying to figure that out herself. But she wouldn't let on about that last part to Inner Sakura, no, she liked being sane. Well, at least as sane as she was. "_**And all those children.**_ Oh, yeah, _**Heaven Bless Them."**_ Sakura hurriedly said, remembering that she was, technically, a nun. "All those children, those sweet, innocent, naïve children. _**They will look up to me!"**_ she giggled at that, and even Inner Sakura had to agree that they would be the boss of the children, and make them worship her.

(**An: Yeah, they obviously don't know what they're getting into. Ha ha, can't wait until they find out. 'Cause we know, don't we? And no, I'm not referring to myself in the third person; I mean myself and all you who read this.)**

Sakura decided that waiting all of nine minutes was boring, and she was getting restless after pumping herself up with what both she and Inner Sakura were saying, so she decided to walk around the bus stop for a while. Hopefully, that would help calm her down. Hopefully, but not realistically.

"_**And mind with every step I am more certain…"**_ she said while skipping on one foot over the step stones. Even though she is in her mid-to-late 20's, she still acts like a kid sometimes. Eh, at least she knows how to have fun. "_**Everything will turn out fine. I have confidence the world can all be mine.**_ But not in the way that Pedo-Snake wants it. But anyways, _**They'll have to agree, I have confidence in me!"**_

_Nah, sorry. I'm going to have to say that you don't have much confidence._ Said Inner Sakura lazily.

_Oh? And why is that?_ asked Sakura, sarcastically.

_Well, for one thing, you're headed back to the convent. That's about all that I need, to say that you don't have confidence._

_You know, I'm really starting to hate you._ thought Sakura as she marched her way back to the bus stop.

"You know, you're being really mean to me lately. _**I have confidence in sunshine. I have confidence in rain.**_ Let's see someone try to rain on MY parade! _**I have confidence that spring will come again, besides which, you see, I have confidence in me.**_" Asserted Sakura, trying to prove her confidence to her Inner self. However, Inner Sakura wasn't born yesterday.

_You know, I would just love to see this confidence when you take on these 13 rich brats. They probably have never had to work a day in their lives, despite being the children of the famous captain of the Konoha Military Force. This is what tends to happen with these rich, important families. The only discipline and study that they probably know is from governesses who have to teach them, and when something goes wrong, like one of the little brats says that you're too mean, or that the lesson's are too hard, all of the blame will be put on you. Mark my words on that._

_And just how do you know all of this?_ asked Sakura.

_Well, let's just say that I know more about this kind of thing than you do. Oh, and you probably forgot to notice that when Lady Tsunade said that we would be the new governess, that to be a "new governess" there has to be an "old governess", or more. So these kids will probably be ultra-mondo-brats, and since there are 13 of them, they're gonna gang up on you._

"Oh, yeah? Well _**Strength doesn't lie in numbers!"**_

_It does when they outnumber you._

"Shut up! _**Strength doesn't lie in wealth!"**_

_If they can pay you off, it does._

"If you can't say anything positive, don't say anything at all. Anyways, _**Strength lies in nights of peaceful slumber and when you wake up-wake up!"**_ Sakura shouted suddenly, scaring the people who were just starting to come down to the bus stop, as the next bus was coming in about three minutes. They quickly decided that they would take the next bus. And if she was still there, they would take the one after that. They didn't really need to get to their jobs, or run errands. Or pay their bills. It could all wait, really.

"_**It tells me all I trust I lead my heart to, all I trust becomes my own. I have confidence in confidence alone!"**_ cheered Sakura.

_Great. Now show me this "confidence" by getting on the bus. It's been just standing there for about a minute already._ said Inner Sakura smugly.

"Shit. _**Oh help.**_" Sakura asked no one in particular. Unfortunately for her, Inner Sakura just laughed at her, and the bus driver just looked at her like she was crazy. Which if you didn't know her was understandable. Well, even if you did know Sakura, you would still probably think that she was crazy.

"Look, you gonna get on or not, lady? I got places to go, people who actually want to ride the bus and not waste my time to pick up." The bus driver told Sakura angrily. After blushing a little, Sakura finally got on the bus.

"Where you headed to, lady?" asked the bus driver, that I have just decided to randomly name Suigetsu. Any other character's that I might have to randomly have, if they are guys, I'll probably name Suigetsu. But anyways, Sakura handed him the ticket that Shizune had remembered to give her before she left, and sat next to the front.

"Eh? You're goin' to Uchiha Sasuke's place? For what?" Suigetsu asked her as he started the bus. They were the only one's there, so he felt that they could talk to pass the time.

"Uh, well, I'm going there for a job." said Sakura as she settled into her seat, and remembered that not everyone knew that Uchiha Sasuke had kids. She thought that it would be bad if she let slip about that, and he was trying to keep it a secret. 'Cause then she would be out of a job, and would have to go back to the convent. And she didn't want to face the Sister's after such a short time.

"Huh? You have a job for the ice cube? You must really need the money if you're staying there." Suigetsu said while making a turn at about twice the speed limit. Luckily for Sakura, he was a good driver. And she didn't have anything for breakfast.

"What do you mean? Isn't he a good boss? After all, he is the famous captain of the Konoha Military Force. So he has to be a fair boss, right?" asked poor, naïve Sakura.

"Well, I don't know much about him being a fair or unfair boss, but I've heard rumors. Such as any nice, respectable young woman who goes there for work leaves a short time after, swearing that even if their lives depend on it, they are never taking a single step on that property for the rest of their lives. Though for some reason, when asked what it was that made them leave the place, they would never answer. Just say that we haven't seen hell until we've seen the kind of company that he puts up with." Suigetsu said normally, as if talking about the weather, while running a stop sign and almost hitting an old lady. Luckily, she had dropped her purse, and was bending down to pick it up, when right where she would have been, Suigetsu's bus was now running through.

"OMG, that lady's okay, phew. I thought for sure we were gonna hit here. But anyways, what about the rumors of him being an 'ice cube,' as you put it?" asked Sakura. Inside, she was thinking, _He isn't talking about the kids, is he? I'm sure it's not. I mean, children can't be that bad, can they?_

"Oh, they aren't rumors, lady. They are the truth. If you ever see him in public, you'll notice that he's always distant, and he never smiles. Now, when his wife was alive, he would smile sometimes, and he was even known to make a joke. Once. But since then, it's like he's gone emo. Well, that's what the people who are jealous of his power, money, and looks say. There was even a rumor that most of those ladies who tried to find work at his mansion only did it so that they could try to seduce him, and make him fall for them. Obviously, it didn't work, and now there are all sorts of rumors going around, like he's gay, his older brother killed his entire family, and he's sworn revenge, that he once spent a few years of his youth with a pedophile snake-obsessed freak, and he hasn't been the same since. But of course, these rumors were started by the women he rejected, so you can't really believe any of it." Suigetsu said, as he slowed down to the speed limit to go past the police cruiser that was parked by the side of the road.

"Yeah, some of those rumors seem really stupid. And I heard from a friend of mine who has connections with practically everywhere, who got me this job, actually, that his family died when they were all poisoned accidentally, and only he and his brother lived, because they were on a trip at the time. Though I also heard that his brother died shortly after that." said Sakura, thoroughly enjoying gossiping about her future boss.

"Well, good luck lady. We're here, and don't let what ever it is that's making everyone else leave get you down. You seem to be made of tougher stuff." said Suigetsu, letting her off of the bus. As Sakura was taking a few steps away from the bus, it pulled away suddenly.

_You know, I'm glad that I missed the first bus. Because then I got to have a nice chat with that bus driver, and I learned that the governess job is haunted._

_Oh, that's looking on the bright side._ Inner Sakura said sarcastically.

_Well, even though we missed the first bus, we still got here on time. Thanks to his crazy driving._

_Now that's looking on the bright side. Now, do you still have your confidence? Or do I have to tell you "I told you so?"_

_Shut up. __**I have confidence in confidence alone. Besides which you'll see I have confidence in me!**_

_Yeah, that's getting annoying. Let's go already._

_Fine, but only because I'm pumped right now. It's like, like, Dattebayo! Whoa, that felt like déjà vu. Or foreshadowing. This is weird, since they're kinda opposite of each other. How troublesome. There it is again!_

_Well, let's get going before it happens again._

_Hai._

So Sakura set off towards the estate, trying her best to avoid thinking of strange paradoxes. When she got to the door, she heard on the inside the sound of people yelling at each other. They sounded like men's voices. Sakura strained to hear what was being said.

"…And if I have to yell at you for putting graffiti on the walls again, you can kiss your ramen for the month goodbye!" yelled a deep voice, rather irritably.

"Argh, no! Don't do that, Father Sasuke-teme! But, it's not like you have any rules against it!" whined a rather immature voice. Whoever it was did not like the idea of no ramen for a month.

"I do to have rules against it! I've always said; if you have to deface public property, don't get caught! And if it's in our house, do it in a place where I won't find it, or clean it up afterward! Dobe!" yelled the deep voice, who seemed to be her boss. So we'll call him Sasuke. And since we can pretty much guess who the annoying, whining voice belongs to, we'll call him Naruto.

"Yeah, but how do you know it was me who did it? It could've been Kiba for all we know!" shouted Naruto in his defense.

"Well, for one thing, it's about time for Kiba to take Akamaru for a walk, he's smart enough to not get caught, and you spelled out your own name. Dobe." replied Sasuke.

"Yeah, well, um, he-he could have done that to frame me, yeah. That's it." said Naruto in a nervous tone of voice-thing.

"…For some reason I highly doubt that."

Just then, Sakura decided that it was about time to let them know that she was there. Although she didn't want to interrupt, Inner Sakura prodded her to knock on the door. When she did, the voices inside stopped, and then Sakura heard footsteps coming to the door.

When the door opened, all Sakura could focus on for a moment was the guy who opened the door. He had spiky brown hair, and had on a pair of cheek guards. No folks, this was not Sasuke. Like he would open his own door when he had a butler, like Zaku here.

"Can I help you, miss?" Zaku asked in a fake butler voice.

"Um, yes. My name is Haruno Sakura, and I'm here for the governess job." Sakura said confidently. On the inside, she was shaking, with anger or laughter, who knows. _Oh my gosh, I can't believe I thought he would be Sasuke! Good thing he used a fake butler voice, or I would have called him Sir, or something. I am such an idiot._

_Well, didn't we hear that Uchiha Sasuke was supposed to be dreamy, gorgeous, a hunk, drop-dead handsome…_

"I see. Yeah, come right this way. The boss is gonna see you in a minute, after he makes sure one of his brats cleans up after himself. Kin's gonna go into another fit if she has to clean up another graffiti job." Zaku said, dropping the butler voice.

"Do you not like the kids? Is that why you call them brats?" asked Sakura, curious as to why butler would call his boss's kids 'brats'. Meanwhile, Zaku was leading her to a room on the right, which appeared to be a sitting room.

"No, I call them brats 'cause they are brats. The boss says so, and so do they. Nobody really cares, except when one of the leeches calls them brats. Then the brats get upset, and prank her. Then the boss sues her when she tries to retaliate. It's actually quite funny."

"'Leeches?'" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, the ladies who come here, only for his money, position, or looks. I believe that's what Tenten called them. Well, I got to go, the boss will be here soon, and don't touch anything." Zaku said as he exited the room. This left Sakura by herself, and while she couldn't touch, she could look. This is what she was doing five minutes later, when the Master of the house finally arrived.

"So. You're my children's new governess." came a voice behind her. She turned around, and the sight made her Inner self swoon. She was calm and composed though, on the outside, with just a hint of a blush. Standing before her was the one and only Uchiha Sasuke, with his dark, coal-black eyes, his chicken-butt hair style, and his perfect, gorgeous face. At least, that's what Inner Sakura and Outer Sakura both agreed upon.

"Um, yes. The Reverend Mother sent me here to be the new governess, Captain." Sakura said, while determinedly looking him in the eye. Unfortunately, she was finding this rather hard to do. At last, Sasuke turned away, and headed out into the hall. Sakura took this as her cue to follow him.

"Hn. While you are working in this house, there are some rules that you need to follow. First is, your job is to only look after the children. This means that you need to help them with their studies, if need be, so you better have an I.Q. over 20. What's the Pythagorean Theorem?" Sasuke suddenly quizzed her.

"A square plus B square equals C square." Sakura answered nervously.

"Good. You pass. The last five governesses' that I've had couldn't even answer that. I knew they were doomed to fail, but I thought I should give them a chance. Shikamaru could answer any math questions that came up. But no, they ended up disappointing me. You will also be overseer of my secret army, which are the kids…" Sasuke replied, seemingly okay with her answer.

"…Secret-army? And that's the kids?" asked Sakura, trying to get her head around that.

"Oh, before we continue, I need you to sign this waver/contract saying that if ever you should leave this place of employment, you will not talk about what has been said here, or what happens here. Or I'll sue you." He said casually, handing her a piece of paper.

_Well that explains why nobodies ever talked about this place._

_Yeah. If they do, then he sues them. What a way to take control of a situation._

Sakura signed the waver/contract-thing, and handed it back to Sasuke. Without even glancing at it, he put it in his pocket, and continued talking.

"Yes, my private army. You know that we are a ninja nation, right? Well my kids are all born ninja, as am I. What most people don't know is that there is a special branch of the Konoha Military Force that are all ninja. I lead that Force. And I expect my kids to be up to standards too, so they are my private army, and they get special training. Your job is to make sure that they don't kill each other, that Choji and Shikamaru actually do their training, that Temari doesn't get all power-hungry, and try to make them train, that Shino doesn't spend time focused on his bugs when he could be training, that Ino and Hinata train just as hard as everyone else, and that Tenten doesn't use the boys for target practice. She's still a little sore about someone throwing away her favorite weapons scroll, and she's not sure who it was yet. Also, if any of the kids has any other thing that they may need you for, as long as it's not illegal, or against any rules, whether it be house rules or rules of nature, then do it. That's about it."

_Rules of nature? What's that supposed to mean? What have I gotten myself into?_ Sakura thought to herself.

"Does this seem like something you could do?" asked Sasuke when he noticed that she had a bit of a shocked look on her face.

"What? Oh, yes. I think I can handle it." Sakura replied, determined to do this job right.

"Then it's time that you meet them." With that, he pulled out a whistle, and blew hard three times. In the blink of an eye, twelve kids and a dog were lined up, with one of the kids on the floor, with the dog.

**An: Well, that's the third chapter. I know this is a little late, but sorry the first chapter sucked. I was in a bit of a hurry, and I forgot to look over it again, and it was really short. But now that schools over, I can probably update faster, and have longer chapters. Maybe. If I'm not too lazy. Well, anyways, please review. It's how I know people like this, and so far, only one person's reviewed. So thanks, SilverxWolf! You rock! And thanks to snowgirl55 for putting my story on your story alert list! That makes me so happy to know that these two people actually want to read my story. Do you know how to make me even happier? Send in reviews! Thanks in advance for those who review, and special mention to those who guess who is missing from the kids!**


	4. Meet the kids

**An: Hi, it's me, Maya-chan2007, and I just want to say I am truly and deeply SORRY!! For a number of reasons. For one, last week I went on vacation to Florida, so I couldn't update. But I wrote some on this chapter! You can probably tell where I start making it up, instead of writing it down, because for some reason, my writing style's different when typing and actually writing. At least to me, it is. And why didn't I leave an Author's note-chapter thing telling why I couldn't write? Because that's a cop-out, in my opinion. I would also like to apologize to Dattebayo Girl, because Shino still hasn't sung yet, and he most likely won't next chapter either. Chapter after, though, I will do everything in my power as an authoress to make sure that he sings. And lastly, to everyone else who reads this, and waits for me to update, sorry that I haven't in a while. I feel so guilty. But here's an extra-long chapter (in my opinion, anyways), to make up for the long wait.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, other wise I would be broke thanks to someone's ramen addiction, and I wouldn't be writing this fic, I'd be making them act it out. Also, there would be more SasuSaku, NaruHina, NejiTenten, KibaIno, and ShikaTema. Oh, and the Akatsuki would be ****so**** different, and Itachi wouldn't be evil. Oh, and Obito would be Tobi in disguise.**

**Special thanks: To my sister, for helping me come up with a few of the things that happen, and some of the dialogue, and giving me feed back. Even now, she is looking over my shoulder, watching as I make this thank you to her…**

"Ah! My ears! And Akamaru's ears! Oh, the pain! Splitting headache, I may die! It burns us! It burns us!" shouted a boy who was on the ground, with who was apparently his dog, and had wild, brown hair. The boy, that is, not the dog.

"Oh, be a man and suck it up already!" Sasuke said rather calmly, while putting away his whistle. The boy just looked at him, while holding his ears, and glared at him, muttering something about a "good-for-nothing father, always using the DOG-whistle, never minding that _some_ of us have extra-good hearing, and it's only to meet someone who won't stay for very long." One of the boys standing next to him, who had on a large collar for his shirt and sunglasses on indoors, stepped on his foot; very hard, judging from the boy with good hearing's look of pain on his face. Some of the other children chuckled at this, though two girls, a long-blonde haired one and a long-haired sort of blue/black-colored hair, looked concerned about their brother.

"_Sigh_, All right, settle down. And don't think I didn't hear that, Kiba," Sasuke said to his children, who immediately quieted down. Well, except for a blonde boy standing second-to-last at the end, who was still chuckling to himself, and very poorly trying to hide it. "This is your new governess, Miss Sakura. She's from a convent, which sent her here, so that means that even in a convent, they know about how you all need some discipline."

"Um, that's not" Sakura started, not wanting the kids to get in trouble. She also was feeling disappointed that none of them were little kids like she though. Instead, they seemed to range from 14 to 16 years of age.

"Shh!" Sasuke said quickly, apparently wanting to get his kids in trouble. As he was turning back to talk to them, Sasuke noticed something about his kids. "-Where's Tenten?"

Shortly after saying this, a girl came out of one of the side rooms. She had brown eyes and hair, which was up in two buns at the top of her head. She had her head down, as she was reading a book that was titled "How to impale your foe until they are unrecognizable with only 5 kunai." When she came out, there were several snickers from the kids. At this, she looked up, and noticed where she was and what was happening.

"Uh-ano, Sorry. I- uh," the girl stammered. Sasuke just sighed, and held out his hand for the book.

_I should read this later…_ he thought. "You'll get this back later. Now get in line with the others."

"H-hai, sir." She murmured, as she hurried into line, between two boys, one wearing all green, with black hair in a bowl-cut, who gave her a look a encouragement and a thumbs up, and the other with white eyes and long, brown hair tied loosely back, who gave her a slightly reproachful look.

Putting the book behind his back, and making plans to read it when this matter was finished, Sasuke continued on. "Well, now that we're all here," at this, there were a few chuckles, though not cruelly, "we'll continue. Everyone, this is you're new governess, Miss Haruno Sakura. You will call her Miss Sakura. She will be here until school starts again next fall. As it is the start of summer, she will be here for a little over a year. Hopefully. So far, she has passed the intelligence test, so she will be able to help you with any homework that Shikamaru is too busy to help with. And yes, you will be required to help with homework. That is where Choji and Ino will come in, to make sure you help. Any questions?" At this, almost everyone had their hand raised. Sakura was tempted to raise hers, as well, since she had a few questions, and Sasuke had a commanding voice that made her want to do as he said, but she thought that it would be a little too weird.

_Chicken._ Inner Sakura said.

_Shut up! _Sakura replied to herself. _You're gonna get me in trouble! Talk to me later when we're alone!_

_Yeah, yeah. As long as you don't make a bad impression, he's too handsome to think we're crazy, so don't blow it!_ With that, Inner Sakura settled down to enjoy the show.

Meanwhile with Sasuke and the kids…

"You all have questions?" Sasuke asked in a bored tone of voice, not really caring.

"Uh-ano, um, I-I do-n't real-ly ha-have a que-stion, Fa-Father," a shy-looking girl with blue/black waist-long hair stuttered. She also had white eyes.

_Lady Tsunade said that all of the kids are adopted. So why does she look so much like that other kid?_ Sakura thought to herself.

"And I thank you for not having a question, and bothering me with useless triviality." Sasuke told the shy girl. The brown haired girl, who came in late, when hearing this, quickly put her hand down. Nobody else did so, however.

_Let's see, wasn't her name Tenten? Jeez, I really need to go ahead and memorize their names and faces, quick. _Sakura thought.

"Hn. Well, alright. Guess none of your questions are gonna get answered. So, other than that, all you need to know is that, as with other governesses past, she will be overseeing you're training. I've discussed this with her already, so she knows what to do, i.e., make sure you don't kill yourselves, or each other, but hurting each other, as long as it's not major, and it's not for something stupid," at this he looked directly at the blonde boy, who started sulking, "is okay. That's all that I have to say, so go ahead and get to know each other. Dinner is at 6:30, by the way." Sasuke randomly threw Sakura's way, as he left to go to his study, and read the book that he confiscated from Tenten. This inevitably left Sakura alone with the kids.

Sakura, slightly hesitant, turned to get a better look at them individually. A few seemed to be sizing her up as well. Others were looking bored, waiting for her to either mess up, so they can go back to doing what they were doing before they were called, and the shy girl, Sakura hadn't caught her name, was looking down shyly, as if expecting her to start bossing them around, starting with the weakest link, which would be her.

_It's like they expect me to start ordering them around, or something. _Sakura thought.

_Maybe they're used to it, so they're already preparing themselves._ Inner Sakura replied.

_That's not fair, already assuming all of these things about me!_

_Just like how you assumed they would all be little kids?_

_… You have a point. Well, we're all just glaring at each other, so why don't we introduce ourselves?_

_Fine. But they have the look of brats. You remember what that one guy, Zaku, said. About them being brats? I hope not. Or we'll have to teach them a lesson. He heh heh._

Before Sakura could reply to her Inner Self, the blonde boy burst out, apparently tired of the silence, "Argh! Talk already! This is so boring, are you gonna yell at us, or something already?"

"Great, Naruto. Just go ahead and let her know we're on to her, already. Then she can tell father that we 'Haven't given her a chance,' or some other crap like that," one of the blonde girls, the one with the long hair in a ponytail and wearing purple, said sarcastically. This made Sakura talk.

"What? What do you mean, yell at you? I don't even know you, so how can I yell at you? And what do you mean, 'You're on to me?'" Sakura asked.

"_Sigh_, Troublesome," one of the boys, who had brown hair tied back into a high, spiky ponytail said.

_Oh! There's where one of the déjà vu/foreshadowing-things came from! All that's left is the 'dattebayo!' _Sakura thought.

"What Ino and Naruto mean, is that it has been the norm for past governesses to start right into the 'obey what I say, don't get in my way, I get to flirt shamelessly with you're father, and you get to watch' lecture, right after father leaves the room, so that's what Naruto meant about you 'yelling' at us, and since we know all of this, that's what Ino meant be 'we're on to you.' It's all just so troublesome," the boy continued on.

"Wow, great explanation as always, Shikamaru!" a rather plump boy, eating potato chips, told the boy who just explained.

"Yes, except now, she knows about this, so she might try a new approach that we are not used to." Said the boy with white iris's matter-of-factly.

"Ugh, and I have to figure out what it is, and devise a counter measure, right? Troublesome." Said the boy with brown hair in a ponytail again, like he had other things that he could be doing.

"Well, if this is a problem, then why don't you shut your traps, and we can figure out something later?" said the girl with brownish, blondish hair in four pigtails, cutting into the chatter that was starting to rise. She seemed to be the oldest, and the one in charge. However, some of the more loud mouthed ones apparently didn't like being ordered about in front of what some were calling "fresh meat."

Unfortunately for them, Inner Sakura heard the "fresh meat" reference. So she took over momentarily.

**"What! How dare you call me fresh meat, what are you, cannibals?! Jeez, and I haven't even done anything yet, and you're already against me?! How messed up is that? Cha!"** After that little out burst, the kids just stared at her, taken aback. Sakura panted a little, and noticed she had their attention, so she decided to continue onwards.

"Oh, right. Sorry about that. Um, so, how about we start over, my name's Haruno Sakura, if you would, please just call me Sakura. You don't have to call me miss, and I think I would be a little weirded out if you called me that. I come from a convent, my Reverend Mother told me a little about this job, so I took it. Mostly to get away from the convent, and see the world, as I've been in the convent for practically all my life. So, I'm not here for you father, just to work." Sakura finished with a smile.

_Though their father would be nice, too._

"I see, so your not here for Father Sasuke, you're here to shirk your duties as a nun! Well, that's better!" the loud blonde boy shouted, pumping his arm into the air. Pretty much everyone sweat dropped here.

"Um, I'm not sure if that's exactly how I'd put it. Oh, anyways, I don't even know your names. How about you tell me your names, ages if you want, and something about yourselves." Asked Sakura.

"That sounds a bit like an order…" a boy wearing all black and purple face paint said.

"Uh… Then how about it be a suggestion? So we can be friends, or at least know each other enough so that we don't make false impressions of each other?" Sakura said, feeling a little confused.

"What sort of impressions have you made about us already?" the kid with the bowl cut and green sweats asked.

"Oh, well, **My first impression is that your all brats who need to go to military school, or at least disciplinary school!"** Inner Sakura cut in cheerfully stated. Outer Sakura thought that this would have been the wrong thing to say, but the kids though it was funny. A few tried to act like they were insulted, but they couldn't stop smiling and laughing. Even the boy with the sunglasses and the boy with the red hair and the tattoo of love on his forehead, who hadn't even said anything yet, smirked.

_Ooo! A reaction! Now we know they're not complete statues!_

"Ha ha, okay. So you've got nerve to say that to our faces. To humor you, my name's Sabaku no Temari. I'm 16, the oldest, and the one in charge. What you need to know about me is that I like fans, ferrets, and I don't need a governess." The girls with four pigtails said, while still sizing Sakura up.

"Um, okay. Thanks for telling me, and since you don't need a governess, maybe you could help me with my job."

For some reason, this made all the kids laugh. Even the silent ones chuckled some.

_Uh, huh? What's so funny?_ Sakura thought.

_Little snots._ Huffed inner Sakura.

"Temari helping someone, of her own free will. That'll be the day. Oh, you need to know my name's Kankuro, I like puppets, I don't like kids, and I think your dress is horrible." The kid with the purple face paint said. At this there were several snickers, particularly from the long-haired blonde girl.

_Shit! I forgot this dress was forced on me!_ **(An: If you don't remember, it's Forest Green, with yellow frilly lace on the borders. And if you want to, make it more hideous than it really is.)**

_How could we forget? Maybe we're good at blocking out painful memories!_

"Sh-Shut up! It's not my fault this dress was forced on me! When we enter the convent, all of our worldly possessions are given to the poor! And, well, when someone entered, the poor didn't want this one." Sakura yelled at them, while hugging herself defensively.

"Hm, wonder why?" Kankuro said sarcastically. This just caused more cackles, and further upset Sakura.

"I-I'm pretty sure there were other dresses, or something, at least, available, but the nuns hate me! So they gave me this thing to wear." Sakura whined in her defense.

"What did you do to make _nuns_ hate you?" The boy with the dog asked.

"I was myself. Apparently I'm too free-spirited. You wouldn't think so, but nuns are really spiteful." For some reason, the kids didn't seem to believe this.

"Look, how about we just continue where we left off." Sakura said to try to stop the way the conversation was taken. The kids seemed to accept this, for now, and continued on with their introductions. The long-haired boy with the white eyes next to Kankuro started in on his.

"My name is Hyuuga Neji. I am 15, I like fate and destiny. I hate those that insult fate and destiny. I hate my former family." Neji said rather stoically.

"Uh, right. So, how about you?" Sakura said pointing to the girl next to Neji.

_That kid has some serious issues._ Inner Sakura put in.

_Yeah, what's with hating his former family? Maybe that has something to do with why he's adopted._

"My name's Tenten, I don't have a last name, unless you count Uchiha. I love weapons, the sharper and more dangerous, the better! I also love my family, and Father! I hate those that try to mess with my family, and leeches that only go after Father for his money or looks. So far, you don't seem like a leech, but I'll be watching." Tenten told Sakura in a warning voice.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not as shallow as all that. You don't have a thing to worry about!" Sakura said, trying not to show that she was a little creeped out by that.

"Mm-hm." Tenten said in a voice that clearly said that she didn't believe Sakura.

_Okay. Daddy's girl. Note to self, yes self? Don't get on Daddy's girl's bad side. Okay self, thanks for the warning._ Inner Sakura said to herself.

_Please don't do that, it feels like there might be more than just you and me in here. And I only think that there's room enough for just us, and that's pushing it._ Sakura told her inner self.

_Baby._

"Uh, you in the green. Who are you, what do you like, and what do you don't like?" Sakura said to the next in line, pointedly ignoring herself. **(An: Okay, that's just getting annoying and confusing.)**

"My name is Rock Lee! I am 15 years old; I like training, youth, and my friends and family! I do not like un-youthful things, such as past governesses! I also dislike when training is canceled! My goal is to prove that even someone like me can be a most splendid ninja! And even though you are wearing that most un-youthful dress, I can tell that you are brimming with the springtime of youth!" Lee proudly declared while flashing his teeth at her and giving her a thumbs up. There were several giggles and sweat drops all around, including Sakura, who was in the seat drop category.

_I never asked him about his goal in life…_ She thought.

_Please, can't we go through at least three people without them mentioning the dress?! It's not our fault! And what's with this kid and training and youth?! Can someone say YMCA?_ Inner Sakura fumed.

_Don't be mean. And his enthusiasm's kinda cute, for a kid, and look at those adorable sparkles around his eyes…Actually, how does he do that?_ Sakura thought.

"Uh, thanks for that, I suppose. But, can we please not mention the dress? Like, ever again? When we're done here, I'm going to burn this thing. Once I find something else to wear, though…" Sakura trailed off. Some of the kids who still haven't had their turn looked disappointed at this. Not because she's burning the dress, but because they can't make fun of her about it anymore.

"_Sigh_, I guess I'm next. Name's Nara Shikamaru, I like Shogi and Go, I also like sleeping and staring at the clouds. I also like my best friend, Choji," at this, the kid eating the potato chips beamed. _Ah, so that's Choji._ Sakura thought. "I dislike having to put forth an effort,having to work, troublesome women, and in general anything troublesome. Like this." The lazy kid who was next said in a drawl that clearly said that this was too much work for him.

_This kid clearly has 'troublesome' issues. Did you see some of the glares he got when he mentioned 'troublesome women?'_ Sakura asked her inner self.

_I thought that Temari and the girl next to him were gonna kill him. Maybe this happens a lot? At any rate, little miss prep is going next._

_You just don't like her 'cause she made fun of the dress. News flash, they all made fun of the dress._

_Of course. We know that the dress is hideous, so they don't have to rub it in._

_Oh, you know we're probably going to be friends with her. Oh, look, she's about to talk._

"My name's Yamanaka Ino, I'm 14, I like flowers, I like my two best friends, Shikamaru and Choji, and I like my boyfriend. What I don't like are the women who come here for our father, and your gigantic, huge, forehead. Seriously, have you ever had anyone ask to but advertising on that billboard brow?" The girl recently dubbed Ino asked Sakura in a mocking tone. Everyone else giggled and snorted a bit at what she said, but Sakura didn't think that what she said was very kind. Let's see just what she thought about that, shall we?

"You-are-so-DEAD! I am sooooooooooooooooo gonna get you, and when I'm done with you, you're poor boyfriend is going to have to get you flowers, which you like, and put them on your GRAVE!! You're going to wish you never said that, Ino-pig, you porker!" Sakura shouted at a very surprised Ino. Everyone else just stood in amazement at the scene which was unfolding. **(An: I've heard Sakura call Ino an 'porker' before, at least in the English version, which is basically what I'm going by, so nobody complain thinking that I just randomly thought up that insult. I'm not that creative.)**

_That-that BITCH! How DARE she insult the forehead! Oh, she is so going to end up on my 'To kill/humiliate/injure/other/or all of the above list! Cha!_ Inner Sakura said, while the flames of youth and fury enveloped her. **(An: I just had to add 'youth' in there.)**

_Uh, oh. Did she just-_ Shikamaru thought.

_-call Ino a pig? That's a-_ Choji started in on the thought.

_-HUGE no-no with Ino._ Kiba finished. Why was Kiba included? Because he's Ino's boyfriend, so if Sakura made good on her promise, Kiba would have to buy flowers for his girlfriend's grave. And he'd rather not do that.

"Wha-what did you call me? Oh, it is SO on, Billboard Brow!" Ino yelled back at Sakura.

"Anytime, anywhere, Miss Piggy!" Sakura threatened.

However, before anything could be done, Sasuke chose that precise moment to come back in. That, or he got worried when he heard chattering, followed by arguing (what usually happens), then a relative quiet, but still talking (what sometimes happens), and then an explosion of noise, followed by more yelling (which has only happened once before, and he had to call the cops to get the deranged person out of his house).

"Ah, I see you're bonding with each other." Sasuke stated when he came in the room, and saw that it was just one of his kids in a glaring contest with the governess. Nothing really to worry about.

"Father Sasuke! What are you doing here!" the loud blonde boy shouted at his father.

"Dobe, I keep telling you to call me father. And I'm here for a pencil, so I can take notes on the book that I'm researching." Sasuke said coolly. Incase you have short-term memory loss, or you just didn't care, the book he's "researching" is the book he confiscated from Tenten.

"But-father! This Billboard Brow called me Ino-pig, Miss Piggy, and a porker!" Ino whined to her father.

"And knowing you, she probably said that because you taunted her first." Sasuke said as he walked over to the table that was over by the wall, which had pens, pencils, paper, and other various writing instruments; he didn't even look over when he said this.

"Well, yeah, but-gah!" Ino exploded, irritated that she wouldn't win.

Sakura didn't want Ino to get into trouble (much) for what happened, so she tried to stick up for her. "Um, Captain Uchiha? It really was my fault; I shouldn't have been as sensitive as I was to what she said."

"Just call me Captain. And it was originally her fault anyway, so whether or not you reciprocated is a mute point." Sasuke said as he walked back to his office.

_That jerk! How could he say such things about his own daughter?_

_Well, Ino-pig did deserve it, but divine punishment should have been dealt by us!_

_Since when do you use the term 'divine punishment', or 'divine' anything, for that matter?_

_Since now. We've been hanging around Shizune too much. This time apart will be good for us._

Meanwhile, with the kids shortly after Sasuke left, and while Sakura has a conversation with herself…

"Wow. That was mean of father." Shikamaru drawled. The rest of the kids had gathered round, and were discussing the pro's and con's of what had just happened, and if Sasuke was in the right or not.

"Shika? Is that all you have to say about what he did? You're such a heartless jerk!" Kiba said, in Ino's defense.

"Well, what else is there to say? Father was rather hard on Ino, so of course we are going to say that he was acting inappropriate." Gaara said which was rare. He only really speaks in front of his family.

"Hey! We can't just blame Father for everything, it wasn't his entire fault!" Tenten interjected. "After all, he just stated what he saw. It was really Ino's and _Miss Sakura's_ fault, for getting into that fight."

"Hey! Don't blame me for everything! It's all the governess's fault, for getting so defensive!" Ino complained.

"Well, you're the one who started it." Temari told her.

"And we can't really blame the governess for this, as much as we want to. She only acted according to how a normal person would, when insulted." Neji put forth.

"Since when are we on the governess's side, eh? Why don't we just test her out, or something? So far, she's been different than the others." Kankuro said.

"-And if she doesn't pass, then we can do whatever in our power to make her leave! Though, if by some odd chance she passes, we'll have to tolerate her for a year. A little over a year. But she won't pass. We'll make sure of that!" Temari plotted gleefully.

"But-doesn't that seem like-like we're not even giving her a chance?" Hinata put forth, quietly, but loud enough so that they could hear her. Hinata doesn't stutter as much around her siblings. Unless it's someone in particular. coughNarutocough

"That's why we are giving her a test. If we didn't, and just make up our minds to go ahead and ostracize her, _then_ we would be not giving her a chance." Shino said in his quiet voice.

"So? Are we going to do this?" Kiba practically shouted. Now, the smart ones out of the thirteen, or at least the ones with brains who would have seen the problem in this, gave Kiba dirty looks, thinking that he had given them away. The rest cheered yes, and arm-pumped the air.

"Going to do what?" Sakura asked, patiently waiting for them to stop talking amongst themselves. At least, outer Sakura was. Inner Sakura was yelling, with Cha! every other word, about if they didn't stop ignoring her, then she would give them a piece of her mind. And since Inner Sakura was part of her mind, that would be bad.

"Uh, continuing with the introductions! That's what we're going to do!" Naruto, who Sakura doesn't know the name of, said trying to hide that they were just plotting against her.

"Oh. Okay. Oh, and Ino?" asked Sakura.

"Huh? What? What do you want?" Ino asked, suddenly defensive.

"Um, I-I'm sorry, for what happened. I'm supposed to be the adult, but I just got upset, and said some un-kind things. I'd just like to say that I'm sorry." Sakura apologized quickly, bowing her head.

"Uh, well, okay. I, uh, accept? You're apology, that is. And yeah, you really should have handled that more maturely." Ino said, stumbling in shock at first, but quickly regaining her usual personality. Everyone else was in shock, because this was the first time that a governess ever apologized. Well, apologized and meant it.

"Don't push it. So, who's next?" Sakura asked, noticing that everyone was out of line, and just randomly standing together in a huddle now.

"Oh, I suppose that would be me!" the boy eating the potato chips said. "My name is Akimichi Choji, I'm 14, I like to eat, I like my best friend, Shikamaru, I like my family, and I dislike it when someone else eats the last bite, particularly the last potato chip. The last chip is mine. I also dislike it when someone discredits Shikamaru, and when someone calls me fat. Because I'm not fat, I'm pleasingly plump!" the boy recently dubbed Choji informed her.

_Aw, he's so cute! And he's not really fat, just a little chubby. But combined with his oh-so-adorable personality, it just makes him uber-cute!_ Sakura gushed to herself.

_And he doesn't seem to be one of the problem kids. So that definitely gives him bonus points._ Inner Sakura agreed.

"Well, that's good to know. And you can have the last chip of any potato chip bags that I eat." Sakura promised him, giving him a warm smile. Choji beamed back at her, and the others all thought at the same time, _hey, don't bribe him with food…_

"Guess we're next. I'm Inuzuka Kiba, same age as everyone else, and this is my nindog Akamaru! We like taking walks together, our family, my girlfriend, who you threatened earlier, so we don't like you so much, and pulling pranks with Naruto. What we don't like are cats, losing, getting caught pulling pranks, and what I don't like is when someone hurts Akamaru. So don't hurt him, if you know what's good for you." Kiba warned.

_Fine, dog boy._ Inner Sakura thought.

_Don't be mean. And I think his loyalty is pretty cool._

_Yeah, but he's going out with Ino-pig, so he must be cracked, mentally._

_You're still sore about the whole 'forehead' thing?_

_Aren't you?_

_Well, we are in training to be nuns, so we have to learn to show forgiveness. And where better a place to learn than a crash course with little Miss Piggy?_ Sakura thought.

"Oh, don't worry. I like dogs, so I won't hurt him. And he looks too cute for me to want to hurt." Sakura reassured Kiba.

"If you say so."

"So, who's next?" Sakura asked the remaining kids.

The boy with the sunglasses and the high collar turned slightly her way, and looked at her, before answering.

"…That would be me. Aburame Shino. Age: 14. Likes: Bugs, fighting. Dislikes: When I miss out on a fight, and when someone forgets me easily." The quiet guy said, turning away again. **(An: I got the forgetting who he is from when Naruto forgets his name when he sees him again in Shippuden.)**

_…Creepy._

_And quiet. I think that's the first we've heard from him yet. Maybe we'll get him to talk more in the future. Or is that wishful thinking?_

_I'd say that it's wishful thinking._

"Well, okay. Um, don't worry, I won't forget you." Sakura said, while trying to smile. Shino didn't even turn in her direction, and some of the other kids snickered behind their hands.

"Ano, um, Shino-kun doesn't re-ally talk tha-that mu-ch." The shy girl said almost too quietly for Sakura to hear. When she noticed Sakura turning to look at her, she quickly ducked her head, and started playing with her fingers.

_Aww, poor girl, she's shy. It's so cute on her!_

_And she doesn't seem to have the backbone she would need to take us on._

"Um, so, who are you?" Sakura said while smiling in encouragement. The girl seemed to get a little courageous, though it could have been because the rest of her siblings smiled at her, at least the ones that would, and gave her a gentle push to continue.

"Ano, I-I'm Hyuuga Hinata, um, I-I am 14, um, I-I like my frie-nds, I al-so like Ne-neji-nii-san, and, um, F-father, uh, I-I dislike whe-n peo-ple are me-mean t-to my f-friends a-and my-myself. Tha-that's abou-t it." Hinata finished off, getting a little quieter the longer she kept talking. When she finished, she was looking at the ground, and blushing furiously.

_Aww, I just want to go up and hug her! She is soo cute!_ Sakura thought, and Inner Sakura was too caught up in the cuteness to comment.

"Ooo, you are so cute! Don't worry, I won't make you talk if you don't want to, or are too uncomfortable!" Sakura said, gushing at the cuteness. Some of the kids who had thought that Sakura might be a tough cookie had all thoughts of that washed away by that comment.

"So, so, next is me right? I bet you just couldn't wait, right? Well, your wish has come true! I'm Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo!" The hyper-active blonde boy shouted at Sakura.

_So there's the 'dattebayo'._

"I like ramen, teasing Father Sasuke-teme, pulling pranks, eating ramen, discovering new types of ramen, when Father Sasuke for some strange reason is in a good mood and decides to take us out, and we get ramen, and Father Sasuke! What I don't like is Father Sasuke, when Kiba switches out my ramen for something else, when I can't eat ramen because I have to eat my veggies, when people disrespect me, or Father Sasuke, or any of my family, and when the governesses shriek at me. I also don't like doing chores, and when I get caught doing a prank, and have to do chores as punishment. And now you know me!" Naruto's loud voice rang out.

_Why 'Father Sasuke?'_

"Um, that's great. You-sure like ramen." Sakura said, trying to find something to talk to him about.

"You bet I do! You know, I bet if you cut me open, I'd bleed ramen!" For some reason, Naruto seemed to take delight in this fact.

"Then when we go out some time, I'll have to get you ramen." Sakura promised him.

"I wouldn't make such a rash promise, if I were you. There's a reason why father doesn't take us out very often, and that's because of how much ramen Naruto eats. You better hope you have a bank at your disposal." Shikamaru told her. Almost instantly, Sakura thought of someone who she could stick the bill with. Also at that same moment, deep in seclusion, Kakuza sneezed.

"Oh, I'm sure it will be okay." Sakura said, confident. Naruto started cheering, and the rest of the kids thought, _Now she's bribing Naruto…_

"So, I guess you're next." Sakura said to the boy with the red hair with a gourd on his back, with a tattoo that reads "love" on his forehead. He stared at her with un-blinking, dark eyes, and then spoke.

"I am Sabaku no Gaara, 14, I like sand, my family, my friends Naruto and Lee, where I live, and scaring brainless governesses. I dislike when my sand gets wet, when my family is upset," at this, he gave Sakura a long, level stare, and even Inner Sakura couldn't help but shutter, "…new governesses, and when governesses presume that they can tell me what to do. Especially when that means that I can't bring my sand in the house and with me everywhere. I particularly dislike insomnia, which I suffer from every now and then, but I am getting over it. That's it." Gaara spoke in a monotone.

"Um, that's okay, I don't care what you do with your sand, I mean, it _is_ yours. And if your insomnia gets unbearable, I could make you a special herbal tea that would help you sleep." Sakura suggested.

"Would you?" Gaara asked.

"Absolutly!" Sakura promised. By now, several people were wondering if they would be able to pull off their plot, what with Sakura bribing everyone.

"Okay, now that I know you all, after I get changed, what do you want to do?" Sakura asked. At this, there were several smirks and evil grins.

_Well this don't look good._ Inner Sakura put forth, not really helping anything.

_What could they be planning? Wait, does this have anything to do with the way they were acting a little while ago?_

_Most likely. Don't worry, we can take them._

_Let's find out what they want, first._ Sakura suggested.

"Uh, Miss Sakura? How do you feel about a quick game before you do anything?"

**An: Well, that chapter's done. It took me longer than I originally thought it would to type, but I got it done. Originally, I had wanted to include the kid's little 'game', but the chapter was getting too long. It took 14 pages just to write out introductions, and what not. The game is going to be around the same length, hopefully, but I'm not sure. Basically, it's an extreme version of hide-and-seek, and I know how it's going to end, but if anyone has any suggestions for in between, that would be cool. Well, it's 9:44 P.M. according to the clock on the computer, so I have to go now. But don't forget to review. Oh, and I accept anonymous reviews, 'cause I remember when I was an anonymous reviewer. So don't let that stop you!**


	5. The game

**An: Hi, sorry this took so long to put up, but because of laziness, distractions, my sister being on the computer to work on her stories and doing whatever, I couldn't update as much as I had wanted to. Lame, I know, but I had my heart set on posting this chapter before today, my birthday (happy birthday to me!), but I couldn't. So here it is. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, any Jane Austen books or plots, (you'll see later…), or the Sound of Music. Though this chapter doesn't really have anything to do with the last one. Well, read and enjoy!**

**Dedication: To the thesaurus on my computer, it helped me not repeat so many words. Oh, and to my sister, who helped me come up with the game when I still had this story as an idea, and for some of the snappier dialogue and funnier events. And for always helping me upload this story. I swear one day, I'll be able to do it on my own! Thanks, I guess. Though you'll never here me say it aloud! :P**

Sakura looked out at the children, slightly confused at the abrupt change in conversation.

"What game do you mean?" Sakura asked. Inner Sakura was muttering something about 'little snot-nosed teenagers probably have something up their sleeves.'

"Well, there's this game that we like to play with the governess's. It's simple, really. Just a friendly game of hide and seek." Temari told the newly appointed governess in a somewhat soothing tone.

_I don't think I'm going to like this…_ Sakura thought.

_Yeah. Look at their 'innocent' faces. They're obviously up to something._

_Oh, you're just being paranoid. _Sakura told herself.

_Oh yeah? Remember when Sister Ami said that she would cook supper for us that one time, because we were too tired after doing all of those chores for Sister Shizune? I told you it was poisoned, didn't I? But nooo, you decided that she had to be a Saint, 'cause she's a nun! And that I had to be paranoid. Luckily, Lady Tsunade's pig Tonton was passing by, or that could have been us with the week long diarrhea! _

_Well, that's true. I still think that Sister Shizune held a grudge about that, and Sister Ami's still out to get us. So, you think that they're up to no good? Do you have any idea what it could be? _Sakura asked her Inner self.

_Uh, well, not yet, how about you have them explain some more?_

While this internal debate was taking place, the kids were wondering what was taking Sakura so long to answer, and why she was making those various expressions, from surprise to horror, from disgust to gleeful, and from sheepishness to speculation. The kids with the tendency to pick fights were wondering if it was a challenge, the ones who had consciences were wondering if she had found out what they were up to, and the innocent ones (Hinata) were wondering if she was feeling okay. Finally, Sakura spoke.

"So, this game that we're playing. Hide and Seek. Just what are the rules? Because there are several versions, and I wouldn't want to play the wrong version from what your playing. Plus, others won't make that mistake, too." For some reason, when Sakura was saying this last part, she looked directly at Naruto. Who started squirming un-comfortably.

"Uh, well, we would be hiding, and you would be trying to find us. Troublesome, I know, but those are the rules. You just have to catch one of us by," at this, Shikamaru looked at the clock with a questioning glance. "5:00 sharp."

"Um, okay. That doesn't sound too bad, I guess." Sakura said a little uncertainly. Inner Sakura, however, did not share her views. _It's got to be a trap. Or there's a catch. There has to be._

"Yeah, and since this is our first game together, let's make it interesting!" Ino gleefully told her.

"Interesting how?" Sakura said guardedly. _I think I see what you mean, now._

"Well, how about, if you can't catch us by then, then you leave. Like, forever. But, if you somehow manage to catch one of us, then we'll acknowledge you as our governess. Sound fair?" Kankuro asked.

"How is that fair, if I can't catch you, I have to leave? I have a job to do, and I plan on doing it!" Sakura said indignantly.

"Well, if you manage to catch one of us, then it means you can control us. And if you can control us, then you are fulfilling your job as governess. That is how it's fair." Neji said, stoically.

"And as for your having a job to do, if you catch us, then it means you've done your job. Really, think about it. If you can't manage to even catch us, then how do you expect us to listen to you, and do what you say? Think of it as hitting two targets with one kunai!" Tenten said happily at the weapon reference.

_Well isn't she a weapon obsessed Daddy's girl. We probably don't want to get on her bad side._

_But then wouldn't it seem like we were only being nice to get on her good side, so we could get close to her father? That sounds like what other governesses have done in the past._

_Point taken. And we don't have any choice, so agree to the game._ Inner Sakura concluded.

"Uh, sure. I guess that would work. Or something." Sakura said uncertainly.

The kids took this as a confirmation, and exchanged smirks with each other. Sakura barely had enough time to slightly reconsider her answer, when the kids shouted at once (well, the ones that would talk did) "Scatter!" With that, they took off, to begin their game of keep away from the governess, or what was officially know as Hide and Seek.

Sakura had been looking for one of the kids for the better part of an hour, not including the time that she took to change into a pair of jeans and a short sleeved shirt. So she was out of the hideous dress, though unfortunately, she wasn't able to burn it out right. She had to catch one of the kids first. And so Sakura set out, scouring the house, trying to come up with an idea on how to catch the little buggers, when she came across the kitchen.

_Ah, so here's the kitchen. Maybe this game will be helpful after all!_ Sakura thought with a smile on her face.

_That, or it will put us in an early grave. And I do not want to die before Lady Tsunade! She's way older than us, so she should die before us!_ Inner Sakura said with a clenched fist.

"Well, isn't that a morbid thought," Sakura told her inner self while looking through different cupboards.

"What's a morbid thought?" came a voice from behind Sakura.

Meanwhile, back at the convent, Tsunade was sitting at her desk, looking over paperwork.

"Why is it that a convent has paperwork? And so damn much of it?" Tsunade muttered to herself, while taking a swig of the 'sacramental wine.'

"Reverend Mother, you shouldn't use such language!" Shizune said while coming in the door carrying Tonton. "We're in a convent now, and you're the Reverend Mother! You need to set an example, but here you are, cursing, drinking, and gambling! The reason why you keep losing is because you're being a hypocrite!" Shizune scolded her.

"Yeah, yeah. But seriously, how is it that we have so much paperwork? I'm starting to regret coming here." Tsunade asked Shizune.

"We came here because you wanted to forget. And I had such high hopes when we got here that you would change your lifestyle. In fact, if you'll remember, you were the picture of a Reverend Mother, praying constantly, never drinking or gambling. I was so proud of you, Lady Tsunade! But then you accidentally had some wine at one of our Holy Celebration Parties, and turned back into your self. Oh, how I miss our reformed Lady Tsunade, don't you, Tonton?" Shizune asked the pig that she was holding, as she lifted said pig up while looking at her face. **(An: I'm not sure what gender Tonton is, most people say that it's a boy, but I read somewhere that Tonton's a girl, so I'm not sure. In here, since only women are in the convent, Tonton's a girl.)**

"Yeah, I was the picture of a reformed, changed woman. I get it. So stop bringing up the past, already." Tsunade snapped irritably.

"S-sorry, milady!" Shizune stuttered, shocked.

Tsunade sighed, and looked out the window. "No, I shouldn't have snapped at you. It was my fault."

"W-well, if you say so." Shizune replied. _She's still sensitive about it, then…_

"So, what do you need, Shizune?" Tsunade asked her apprentice, changing the subject.

"Well, according to the newest information that I overheard from the Monastery side of the church/sanctuary/thing, apparently Orochimaru is starting to make his move," at this, Tsunade spewed her 'sacramental wine' everywhere, though mostly on Shizune and Tonton. Shizune continued on, though. "and they think that he might be trying to recruit Uchiha Sasuke! If that's true, then Sakura would be in danger! And those poor children!" Shizune exclaimed, worried about Sakura and the 'poor children.' So, she basically doesn't know squat about the kids.

"So that bastard Orochimaru is starting to make his move, eh? Don't worry about Uchiha Sasuke. He won't abandon his children, and they won't want to go over to the Sound side of the conflict. Plus, I've heard that Uchiha Sasuke has been approached by Orochimaru before, and if he didn't join then, then he won't join now. As for Sakura, she's a bit of an air head sometimes, but she's strong. She'll be okay. Now help me clean this up, Shizune." Tsunade said, gesturing to the spilt sake-I mean 'sacramental wine.'

_She means, 'clean it up for me', doesn't she?_ Shizune thought to herself.

"Eh?" Sakura asked while turning around to see who it was that asked her the question mentioned a whole section-thingy ago.

Standing there, reaching for a cup of tea that happened to be conveniently on the counter, was Sasuke, who had the book that he confiscated last chapter under his arm with several bookmarks in it.

"What's a morbid thought? You were talking to yourself, and I'm asking what the morbid thought was." Sasuke stated matter-of-factly.

_Crap! What am I supposed to say, that my Inner Self thought that dying before the Reverend Mother would be horrible?!_

_Uh, just make something up!_

"Um, it's nothing, really. I was just thinking of some things…" Sakura trailed off as Sasuke turned to look directly at her.

"As long as it doesn't affect the children, I don't really care." Sasuke said non-committedly. He then took a sip of the hot tea, and grabbed a tomato from a bowl of the fruit/vegetable hybrid confused food. Now that Sakura looked closely, she noticed that there were a lot of tomatoes around the kitchen, in large glass bowls, in pyramids on the counters, and even in the wall paper of the kitchen.

_Wow. Someone's obsessed. But it's kind of hot, in a strange way. Maybe we could make him something with tomatoes later!_

_Let's make sure we have a job, first._

"So, Captain. You really seem fond of your kids." Sakura said, to start up a conversation.

Sasuke turned to look at her with an unreadable look on his face, which made Sakura start to fidget a little. "Of course. They are my children." Sasuke said like it was the simplest thing in the world.

"But then-why did you say those things to Ino?"

"Because. She needs to learn that she can't always go around and insult anyone she wants. Miss Haruno, you are the thirteenth governess in a long line of governess's. The governess's from before you would leave saying that the children are insane. But there is nothing wrong with the children. Rather, the governess's just couldn't cope with how the children were raised, and never bothered to even try with them. Hopefully, you will be different." _So far she is. She's standing up for them, which is more than I can say about the others._ Sasuke thought. After that, he stood up, taking his tea and a bowl of tomatoes with him back to his study, leaving Sakura alone in the kitchen which looked like it was its own Tomato Festival.

_Wow, the others wouldn't even try? Well, I'm going to do more than that. I'm going to stay, but to do that, I'll need to win. Have any ideas?_

_Hmm. Maybe we should do some more investigating._

_That might work._ With that, Sakura took off again in search of the missing children, though it could have been that she wanted to escape the tomato-infested kitchen.

Sakura started on her quest again, and decided to continue her search upstairs. She walked through a hallway with several rooms with labels on the doors. She inspected one closely, and found that she was looking at Storage Closet #5. She thought that this was odd, because from what she could tell, there were no other storage closets on this floor.

"You know what's hidden in there?" came a voice from behind her. Again.

_Should I be getting used to this?_ Sakura wondered to herself.

"Huh?" Sakura asked while turning around. Standing there was Naruto, grinning ear from ear, looking like he was about to tell her a great secret that he shouldn't tell anyone. So basically, he had a mischievous look on his face.

_Is he going to tell me something that will get me in trouble?_

_I wouldn't put it past him, but something tells me that it's going to be something stupid that's going to get _him_ in trouble._

_Well, you do know more about this sort of thing than I do._

"What's inside there- is Father Sasuke's secret study!" Naruto said, acting like this should mean something to her.

"His secret study- is a storage closet?" Sakura asked confusedly.

"It's not really a storage closet. That sign's just there to throw people off!" Naruto said this with pride, for some reason. Whether it's the fact that he knows its purpose, or he just hadn't taken his medicine yet, Sakura wasn't really sure.

"Throw people off from what?" Sakura asked, almost afraid of what his answer would be.

"From the fact that- our mother's body is hidden away in there! Because, instead of dying, she actually turned insane, and the insane asylums treat the patients horrible, and so to save her from such a fate, Father Sasuke hid her away, and the horrible moans that come from that room every night aren't actually from her ghost, but from our mother herse-!" Naruto probably would have continued on with this rant, sufficiently scaring, irritating, and making Sakura feel anticlimactic, if it weren't for Sasuke choosing that moment to come up behind Naruto and hit him on the head.

"Dobe. Didn't I tell you to stop saying that? There is no secret study, and your mother is not insane, she's dead. So stop saying other wise. I curse the day we made you read Jane Austen. That's why you're no longer allowed to read literary classics." Sasuke said while looking down on Naruto, both figuratively and literally, because Naruto ended up on the floor rubbing his head.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted us to 'expand our horizons', or some other crap like that. And anyways, this helps weed out the bad governesses. And look, look! Sakura believed it!" Naruto said, while jumping up and down and pointing and Sakura.

Sakura was able to compose herself enough by this time. "Wha-what do you mean, I believed it? Who would buy something so stupid?" Sakura asked, indignant.

"Well, Governess Chiyo believed it. She thought that if she left, then she would be able to contact her dead son and his wife, something about our mom's spirit in conflict with theirs. She was a real weirdy." Naruto answered. Sasuke just sighed, and walked away, saying over his shoulder, "Don't go telling her or anyone else tales like that again, dobe."

"Teme!" Naruto yelled back, cheerfully.

"Dobe."

"Teme!"

"Dobe." With that, Sasuke left.

"Ha, teme! I win, Father Sasuke!" Naruto cheered to no one in particular.

_…They don't act like a father and son. And Naruto seems to get away with more than the others._

_Maybe it's favoritism._

"So, Naruto." Sakura began. Naruto looked back quickly, almost giving himself whiplash. "How come you call the Captain 'Father Sasuke'?"

"Because!" Naruto cheered, entering flashback mode.

Flashback mode, or What Happened Before, But You Don't Know About It Normally no Jutsu!

_Flashback to when the kids were really kids, like 5, 6, and 7 year olds. _

_"So, this is called the Henge Jutsu. It allows you to change into someone else." Sasuke was explaining to his kids._

_"Wooow!" The kids chorused, excited by anything that their father told them._

_"So, so, Sasuke, I could change into you?" Naruto asked, waving his hand around in the air._

_"Yes, and don't call me by my name. I'm your father, so call me father." Sasuke said, showing considerable patience._

_"Yeah, you always tell us that, but aren't monks called Father's? So, so does that mean you're holy? And a friar? Whoa, so I should call you Father Sasuke!" Naruto cheered._

_"No, it does not. And no, I am not. Just call me father, it's a term you're supposed to call your male guardian, and that's what I am, I'm your guardian, so call me father!" Sasuke argued back. Pretty much every one else went about their business, some practicing the henge like good little kids, Kankuro playing with puppets, Choji eating, and Shikamaru playing Shogi against Temari._

_"So, if you're my guardian, does that mean that you protect me from harm? That's what holy people do too, so that does mean your holy! And so I __**should**__ call you Father Sasuke!" Naruto cheered, happy about his own logic._

_"You know what, I don't care anymore. I'm not going to get anywhere with you, just call me that if you want to. But no one else, got it?" Sasuke told the rest, fed up with Naruto. The rest nodded to him in acknowledgement. Just then, Sasuke's first wife came in, carrying a small boy with sunglasses on._

_"Sasuke dear, look! We have another kid!" She said, holding up Shino, who seemed to have given up on getting down anytime soon._

_"What do you mean another kid, we already have seven!" Sasuke asked annoyed by his wife's weird hobbies._

_"Well, now we have eight!"_

_End the flashback, and ridiculously long-named no Jutsu!_

"So that's why!" Naruto cheered. Apparently, he was a very cheery fellow.

"Uh, right. So, what's that?" Sakura said, pointing to something behind Naruto. Naruto turned to look for whatever it was, and give it some weird history.

"Huh? What, what?"

Sakura was about to lurch forward and grab him, thus winning the game, when Naruto suddenly jumped out of the way. This wasn't by Naruto's own will, apparently, because he suddenly looked irritated, and looked like he was trying to turn his head, but couldn't.

"What was that for, Shikamaru? Why'd you shadow-posses me, I was still looking for the thing!"

One of the kids said from behind Sakura, Shikamaru, from what Naruto said, "Troublesome. Didn't you notice that she was about to catch you? Did you forget the game?"

"N-no, I was just, uh, lulling her into a false sense of security, yeah, that's it!"

"Uh-huh. Well, you should probably leave, now." Shikamaru said while retracting his shadow from Naruto. Naruto stumbled a little, and turned around, winking at Sakura then disappearing. Sakura then turned around, as Shikamaru was about to leave.

"Hey, that wasn't nice, I almost had him!" Sakura fumed at him.

"Well, that's the point. We're supposed to stay away from you, and you're supposed to try to catch us. Thus, we should be able to do what it takes to not get captured. Oh, and if you think trying to intimidate me is going to work, then I should tell you. I live with two troublesome women, and some very competitive people. What do you think would happen if I had just let Naruto get caught, when I had the opportunity to save him? My life would get unnecessarily troublesome, that's what would happen. So on that note, I think I'm going to leave now, so the same thing that happened to Naruto won't happen to me. That would be too troublesome." With that, Shikamaru turned around and walked away, waving with two fingers at her. Sakura was about to chase after him, when he suddenly leapt out the window. Normally, she would have been concerned, but she was too emotionally drained at the moment. Plus, she had thought up of an idea on how to win.

_After all, if the little punks can do anything to win, then why can't we?_ Inner Sakura said, please with herself.

"As long as we don't do something that we'll regret." Sakura answered herself out loud.

Meanwhile, behind her and keeping surveillance, Hinata and Shino were hiding behind a corner, and heard everything she said.

"Is-is she tal-king t-to herself?" Hinata asked. Shino said nothing, however. To anyone else, this might have seemed rude, but to Hinata, and anyone else in their little messed up family, his silence was a questioning one, one that was asking if Sakura was mentally un-balanced.

Back with Sakura, Sakura was walking along the hallway again, but this time she was paying close attention to what the doors said.

_Let's see, __**Library, Bathroom cleaning supplies, weapons closet, Choji's special pantry, **__ah, here we are. The rooms._

_Let's see how they like their stuff getting stolen. He he he!_ At this, Inner Sakura rubbed her hands together, and chuckled very evilly, especially for someone who's supposed to be a nun, or even a nun-in-training.

The first room Sakura got to was labeled Naruto and Lee. Sakura excused herself in, since the door was unlocked. The first thing she noticed was how the room clashed with itself. Half of the room was painted orange, and the other green. Deep green. The two colors were divided by a dotted line that went down the wall exactly where the two colors met. On the orange side, the bed was unmade, there were clothes thrown all over the place, and instant ramen cups were stacked haphazardly all over the place. On the green side, there were weights and other small exercise equipment stacked around the bed, and even on the bed, which was made with Hospital Corners. On the bed stand was an alarm clock, and a picture of Lee with a man who looked like an older version of Lee, which was autographed as "To my favorite, fun, youth-loving pupil, from your favorite teacher, Gai-sensei! Keep up with your training, and the power of youth!"

_Well, I know what we're taking from Lee. Oh, won't he miss it. He he. But seriously, does this kid sleep with dumbbells?_

_He's probably really serious about training. The picture even says so. But who gets their teacher to autograph a picture of themselves? This kid must be obsessed. Now, with Naruto, since the kid is as obsessed with ramen as the Captain is with tomatoes, maybe we should steal some of the ramen?_

_Then we would need a sack, or something. That would come in handy with the rest of the things, too. _

_Maybe there's one in the storage closet?_

_Oh, yeah. Like they really randomly keep sacks in a storage closet. Come on, they're not that crazy._ Inner Sakura scoffed. But it turns out that, yes, this family really is that crazy. There was a pile of sacks on the ground, and on the shelves were random items, such as a fishbowl, an astronaut helmet, a lance and mace which should have been in the weapons room, a few random scrolls of varying sizes, and a scuba diving outfit.

_What's with this family?_

_Not sure I want to know._ Inner Sakura said as both Sakura's went back into the room and collected their bargaining chips, i.e., the picture, and a whole pile of cup ramen. Next, they made their way across the hallway.

Shino and Hinata were still keeping watch, but because of everyone's eccentric desire for "privacy", the walls were Byakugan-proof, so they couldn't tell what Sakura was doing in the room. They also couldn't tell what was in the bag, because for some strange reason the bag was also Byakugan-proofed. So they had no idea why Sakura had an apparent fascination with pretending to be Santa.

"…Are you sure you can't see what's inside?" Shino asked in a questioning monotone. Yes, there is such a thing as a questioning monotone, and Shino can totally pull it off, too.

"Y-yes. All I-I can s-see is the b-bag." Hinata asked while her Byakugan was activated.

"Hm. I'll report this to the others." With that, Shino disappeared in a swirl of bugs, leaving Hinata to watch over Sakura herself.

Back with Sakura, who was entering a room labeled Ino and Tenten.

_Ah-ha! Miss Ino-pigs room and Miss Daddy's girl's room!_

_We shouldn't stay long, just enough to steal what we need, and get out._

When Sakura entered the room, just like Naruto and Lee's room, this one was also divided in the middle by a dotted line separating two different colors, in this case, purple and a soft, neutral brown.

_What's with these kids and their rooms being two opposite colors?_

Anyway, on Ino's side, there were several flowers everywhere, and lots of pictures of her siblings, particularly of Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji. On Tenten's side, there were weapons hung out on the wall, hidden under the bed, and a scroll lying out on the bed. The scroll was slightly open, with some of the contents out on the bed. It looked like a scroll to summon weapons. On the bedside table, there were three pictures, one of Neji, one of Sasuke, and the third was a group photo of everyone. There was also a poster of two dragons that were rising up in a spiral on the wall, with a few weapons decorating the edge of the poster.

_Not sure which one scares me more, the Daddy's Girl, with all of those weapons, or Ino-pig who has all of those cutesy flowers and pictures everywhere, which so clashes with her personality._

_And you're still sulking. So, what should we take?_

_Daddy's girl's picture's of Sasuke and the Neji-guy. From Ino-pig, how about some of her picture's, too. Oh, look to see if she has a diary, that would be good!_

As it turned out, Ino didn't have a diary, so they just took the pictures. Sakura made sure that she left the room as she had found it, minus the pictures, and made her way to the room next door. The label on it said Shino and Kiba.  Sakura entered the room to find that it too was divided into two.

"…What did I miss?" Shino said while appearing suddenly beside Hinata. Hinata didn't flinch, though; she was used to this sort of thing.

"She j-just left Ino-chan and Tenten-chan's room, and she j-just entered yours and Kiba-kun's room, Shino-kun." Hinata said while barely stuttering. Beside her, Shino was subtly radiating anger at the thought that some stranger would just barge into his room. But his and Hinata's job was to spy on Sakura, so he didn't act on his impulse to swarm the room with his bugs.

Inside Shino and Kiba's room, the room was divided by two different colors, gray for Shino and red for Kiba. On Shino's side, the bed was neatly made, and there was a bookshelf filled with books on the different kinds of bugs. Sitting on his bedside table were two rows of sunglasses arranged by varying thickness and darkness, and five different ant farms. On Kiba's side, the room was slightly messy, with the bed being hastily made, and various dog items scattered about, like chew toys, dog grooming brushes, and doggy pillows.

_Okay. I can sum these kids up in five words. Bug freak and dog worshipper. These kids just get freakier and freakier. So what do we take from them?_

_From Shino, we'll take the sunglasses. But we'll wrap them up first, so they don't get damaged. From Kiba, well, maybe some of his dog supplies. But what?_

_Oh, how about the flea brush? That'll be good!_

With that, Sakura quickly wrapped up the sunglasses and put them in the bag along with the flea brush. Because let's face it, a flea brush stolen from a dog-lover is a great offence, like stealing Shino's sunglasses. But anyways, Sakura left the room and quickly made her way across the hallway towards the room labeled Shikamaru and Choji.

"Wh-what do you think sh-she might have done, Shino-kun?" Hinata asked her silent companion.

"…" Came Shino's reply. But Hinata knew him well enough to know that he wasn't sure.

"Sh-should we go and in-vestigate?" Hinata asked timidly.

"…No. She might notice. We should wait here until we are sure that we won't be caught in an enclosed space. We are still playing that game, remember." Shino said in his choppy speech that he uses.

"O-oh, yeah." Hinata replied, feeling slightly abashed.

In Shikamaru and Choji's room, the room was divided between brown and green. On Shikamaru's side, there was his bed, which was not made, and piles of clothes everywhere. There was also a window nest to his bed, which had a great view of a slightly sloping pasture, a stream, some random rocks, and a gazebo that seemed perfect for stargazing. There was also a shougi board sitting on his bed, and stuffed under his mattress were some candid pictures of someone with blonde hair. Sakura couldn't get a good view of who it was from where she was standing. On Choji's side, the bed was also unmade, but not as messy as Shikamaru's. There were also several potato chip bags everywhere, both opened and not, and several other food packages.

_Before you ask, I'm going to take the Shougi board and most of the potato chip bags, the ones not eaten._ Sakura told her inner self, not letting her ask her question.

_Okay, the food I can understand, but why not those pictures that he's trying hide under his bed? Wouldn't that be better material to work with?_ Inner Sakura asked.

_Probably, but we don't want to embarrass them, just make them come out for their things. And Shikamaru already told us that he likes shougi, so we should take the board._

_Guess that makes sense._ With that, Sakura took the aforementioned items, and made her way to the room labeled Gaara and Kankuro. In this room, the room was divided by black and sandy tan. On Gaara's side, the room was very neat, with a picture of himself, Temari, and Kankuro standing next to each other on the bedside table. Nest to his bed was a book shelf, with a wide variety of books on it. On Kankuro's side, the room was slightly messy, with puppet part's scattered over his bed and around his desk, which seemed to double as a puppet mechanics workshop. Sakura decided to take Gaara's picture, and some of Kankuro's puppets. **(An: yeah, yeah, it's starting to get rushed, but oh well, your not really missing anything, and I'm trying to finish this chapter already. And it's starting to get long, too, but oh well. Its length is for you.)**

Sakura made her way to the room across the hallway that had the label Neji and Hinata on it. Inside the room was pale lavender and an off-white color. There was nothing in this room that seemed to suggest that the two personalities in her clashed, like the other rooms did. On Neji's side, the room was impeccably neat, and there were two wall hanging's on the wall, one depicting Fate, and the other saying Destiny. There was another, slightly smaller, wall hanging that had birds flying through the sky. On the bedside table there were a few pictures; one that stood out was that off Tenten. On Hinata's side, the bed was neatly made, and very cute looking. There were even cute pictures on the wall of butterflies, snow falling on a winter ground, and one of a fox. On Hinata's dresser, there were several plushies of various animals, and in the center of the cuteness incarnate was a plushie of a fox with nine tails, which looked too cute to be legal. In fact, the only thing that made the room seem that the occupants were total opposites like the others was the fact that Neji's side seemed to scream out "fanatic about fate and destiny, has a warped personality" and Hinata's side which screamed out "too cute to be legal, but also too cute to do anything about it." It also gave the impression that you just wanted to hug her and never let her go.

_This room makes me sick. First, there's mister fanatic over here, and miss too-sweet-for-my-own-good over there. I'm not sure I can handle this contrast. _Inner Sakura said while holding onto her stomach.

_Fine, fine. Let's take the wall hangings of Fate and Destiny, and some of the plushies, like the one of the fox. Okay, this might just be me, but I'm starting to feel guilty about this._

_It's not just you, so let's get this done before our consciences start to get the better of us, and we can't go through with this._

With that, the two evil, cruel, sadistic, women stole from poor defenseless, innocent Hinata.

**(Sakura and Inner Sakura: Hey! You're the one making us do this!**

**Me: Yeah, well, too bad! Just steal from her and get it done with, already!)**

So anyways, they got their things, and all that was left was the room at the end of the hallway.

"What could s-she have been doing i-in mine and Neji-nii-san's room?" Hinata asked Shino. She thought that Shino wouldn't answer, but he surprised her.

"…Probably the same thing she was doing in the other rooms. Hn, she's heading for-" Shino said, but the authoress cut him off before he could say anything else.

_Hmm. This is the last room. It say's that it's __**Temari**__'s room. Wonder what color her room is?_ Sakura wondered. She opened the room and stepped inside. And then stepped back out, again. Sakura repeated this process about five more times. Finally, she went back into the room.

_What the heck's up with this?_ Sakura asked herself, feeling very confused.

_Oh, just say hell already. But still, how come she has a fricken suite, but everyone else has a college dorm-type of room?_ Inner Sakura yelled out.

Because yes, where everyone else had a medium spaced room for themselves and there roommate-things, Temari, since she's the oldest, and the only one without a roommate, has a suite-type thing. Her room was rather big, with a king-size canopy-bed right across from the doorway. On the right of the big room, which was a light purple with a pale green trim, was a large dresser with various things on it, such as fan polish, numerous small fans, a bag of ferret treats, and a few pictures, such as the one that she stole from Gaara, one with her family, and one of a boy with silver hair and glasses, who was smiling for the picture. On the bed was a giant ferret, which was sleeping, and a giant fan. On the left side of the room was a low table with several cushions surrounding it. On the table was a deck of cards, and a book titled "How to beat know-it-all geniuses at their own game", and a book that had a picture of a shougi and go boards on it.

_Maybe she plays with Shikamaru?_

_Maybe, but if she does, then she always loses, and isn't a very good loser._

_Yeah. And what's with the giant ferret? Maybe it's a pet, or something?_

_Then why does it have only one eye, and why is it curled around a giant scythe?_ Inner Sakura pointed out. Thus, the two Sakura's decided to not wake or mess with the giant ferret. They decided to go for the fan.

Sakura slowly backed out of the room, not wanting to wake the ferret. Whose name's Kamitari, but they didn't know that.

_I'm surprised it stayed asleep when we kept opening the door earlier._

_Yeah. Let's not push our luck, though, and get the little brats to surrender!_

_Okay._

With that, Sakura set out for the courtyard that she saw outside, and arrange her stolen goods so that nobody could sneak up and take it from her. When she got outside, she saw a little bench next to a fountain, and sat down. She then wondered how to call the little buggers over to her. But it turns out, she didn't need to.

"W-what's i-n t-the b-b-bag?" Hinata asked while suddenly appearing out of nowhere, and hiding a little behind Shino, who appeared next to Hinata.

_Well, this was easy._ Sakura thought. Inner Sakura agreed with her.

"My bargaining chip. Or should I say chips? At any rate, could you call your brother's and sister's here, please? I have something I have to talk to them about." Sakura said, while making sure she had a good hold on the bag.

"…First tell us what you were doing in our rooms." Shino asked. Sort of.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out. But anyways, don't you think the other's have the right to know too?" Sakura pointed out.

"Hn." Shino replied. He then gave Hinata a swift nod, and she made some hand signs. Shortly after, the rest of the kids started popping out of random places, such as rising up from the bushes that surround the courtyard, lowering their heads out of the few trees that were there, and of course, walking from the house to outside.

"What? Did she give up, or something? Is that why she has that bag?" Kankuro asked. This seemed to be what some of the other's thought, as well, but a few of the other's seemed skeptical.

"N-no. Sh-she s-said t-that she w-w-wanted to t-talk to u-us." Hinata informed her other siblings. At this, they seemed to grow a little cautious at this, and tensed up a little.

"…She also went into each of our rooms a little earlier." Shino added. At this, they grew angry.

"What!? Why would you go into our rooms?! STALKER!!" Naruto said while overreacting. Everyone just ignored him, and went on with what they were doing.

"I heard that you went into Naruto and Lee's room, but I didn't know you went into everyone's. What did you do in there?" Neji asked.

"Simple. I just followed Shikamaru's advice, and-" before Sakura could go on, the kids turned on Shikamaru.

"WHAT advice did you give her, crybaby?" Temari said with malice in her voice. Because as we had talked about earlier, she hates to lose, and this is getting closer and closer to her losing. Oh, yeah, and everyone else losing, too.

"Yeah, Nara. I thought you were on OUR side!" Kiba said outraged. Shikamaru, when he had heard about his part in this, looked surprised, but now he was backing away slowly from his crazy siblings.

"I don't even know what she's talking about! All I said to her was that I couldn't allow her to catch Naruto so easily, and then I left!" Shikamaru defended himself slightly louder than what he would normally say.

"Yeah, guys, if Shikamaru says that he didn't tell her anything, then he didn't! She's probably framing him, anyway." Choji said, defending his best friend while eating more of his potato chips.

"Uh, what he actually said to me was something along the lines of 'I had to do what I had to, to make sure that you don't win.' So, by that logic, I have to do what I have to do to make sure I DO win." Sakura told the mob that was slowly closing in on a poor Shikamaru. At these words, however, the mob turned back on Sakura.

"Okay, Nara, you're off the hook for now. So what did you do in our rooms, _Miss_ Sakura?" Temari said while sneering the 'miss.' "Oh, and did you wake Kamitari?"

"Who's Kamitari?" Sakura asked.

"My ferret. Didn't you see him? Guess not, or you would have been too scared shitless to even enter my room." Temari said while scoffing Sakura.

"T-that re-reminds m-me. Sh-she w-went i-in a-and out of y-your r-room f-five t-times." Hinata told her.

"Why? What did you do in there? If you messed anything up, I swear, governess or not, you are sooo, gonna get it!" Temari threatened.

_Wait. If she went into our rooms, then that means she saw-_ Shikamaru thought nervously to himself.

"Just what did you do in our rooms, and is it tied to what's in the bag? Wait. What did you take?" Shikamaru asked, having just figured out what she was planning with that genius brain of his. Everyone else seemed to just realize what she had done.

"What did you take, you-you thief!" Ino shouted at Sakura.

"I just took some things. Don't worry, Temari, I didn't mess up your room, and as far as I know, your ferret's still asleep." Sakura told the crowd.

"Which things did you take, and why?" Neji asked.

"I took them so that I had a bargaining chip. As for what I took, would you like a look?" Sakura asked sweetly. Nobody bought it.

"Yeah, right. You probably just took a bunch of junk that we were going to get rid of, anyways." Tenten told her.

"Really? You mean you were going to get rid of these pictures of Neji and your father?" Sakura said while holding up the pictures she took from Tenten. Tenten paled, and made a leap to try and get them, but Lee held her back. "You know, if you don't want it, I suppose I could take this picture of your father." At this, her Inner Self shouted Hell Yeah! "As for this one of Neji, I don't really need it. Maybe I should throw it away?" For some reason, Neji flinched at this, but it went by unnoticed.

"As for everyone else, Naruto, you don't need all of this ramen?" At this, Naruto shouted Hey! "I could always give it to the needy, they're always hungry. Lee, you don't need this picture of yourself and this 'Gai-sensei'? Seemed to me that you might have been close." What? No, not Gai-sensei! **(An: At this point, I'm just going to write what they say, since this is getting really long.)** "Miss Ino-piggy, you sure you don't want these pictures of your friends, family, and boyfriend? I thought you said you liked him?" Why you, billboard brow! I'll get you for this! And it's not true, Kiba! "And Kiba, you really don't need this flea brush? I thought all dogs got fleas, what are you going to do when Akamaru gets them?" Grrrr… "And Shino, you don't really need all of these sunglasses. You already have that pair, how many do you need?" … (There was malice in this silence, if you didn't know.) "Shikamaru, do you honestly need _this particular_ shougi board? Your family's rich, what's one shougi board?" Man, that's harsh. "Choji, do you really need all of these bags of food? Can't you just wait for regular meals like everyone else?" No, I need my food! "Gaara, you don't need these pictures of your family, when you can see them everyday, now do you?" … (Again, malice in silence.) "Kankuro, you already have several puppets from what I saw, so why do you need these extra parts?" Gah, how'd you find those? "Neji, I'm sure you're not really fanatical, so why do you have these wall hangings of Fate and Destiny?" Give those back, if you know what's good for you. "Hinata, really, a girl your age shouldn't play with all of these dolls. Don't you want to give some of these away to charity, like this fox plushie?" No, please, give them back! "And Temari, why would you need a fan this big? It seems very unhandy, why don't I take it off your hands for you?" You bitch. "Well, that's all that I took. And it's all junk that you were just going to throw away? Oh, dear, then what am I going to use as a bargaining chip?" Sakura finished while looking thoughtful. Inner Sakura was laughing gleefully, and told her that she must have picked up on Shizune's guilt-trip thing that she did to make Sakura behave.

"Fine, fine, you win; just give us our stuff back!" Kiba yelled at Sakura.

"Hm. No, I don't think I will. The deal was that I had to catch you. So, if I just give you the stuff, even if you say I win, then I don't really win." Sakura said while sitting on the bench mightily.

"Grah, fine, then what do you suggest we do?" Naruto asked, very fed up, and by seeing his ramen in evil clutches **(Sakura & Inner Sakura: Hey!)** wanted to liberate it.

"How about you all line up, and as you get your things back, I capture you!" Sakura said while smiling with her eyes closed.

"Fine. Just give us our precious things back!" Lee stated.

So, everyone lined up to get their things, and as Sakura gave them back to their rightful owners, she 'captured' them.

"Okay, so Tenten gets her pictures back," Sakura said while handing Tenten her precious pictures back to the grateful girl.

"Naruto, your ramen," Naruto started cheering at this.

"Lee, your picture," Lee also cheered at this. Though he also disinfected his picture. Actually, Tenten stole the disinfectant when Lee was done and used it as well. Everyone used it when they got their things afterwards.

"Ino gets her boyfriend back…" Ino grabbed at the picture and practically drowned it disinfectant. Sakura twitched at this, but let it slide. _For now…_

"Kiba's flea brush for his cute dog," Kiba quickly swiped it away before she could steal it again.

"Shino gets his-hey? Where'd they go?" Sakura said after seeing that the sunglasses were gone. Apparently Shino's hand was quicker than the eye.

"Shikamaru gets his shougi board back. By the way, what's so special about this particular board? You seemed especially pissed that it was taken." Sakura asked while handing him his board.

"It was my very first shougi board." Was all he would say.

"Okay, sorry to have taken it!" Sakura said with a smile again. For some strange reason, he didn't believe her. But anyways…

"Choji, your chips." Sakura said while handing him his food. Choji immediately ripped one open, and started eating.

"At least you didn't eat the last chip!" Choji said between bites cheerfully. He didn't use the disinfectant.

"Gaara, here's your pictures. Oh, and I didn't mean what I said earlier, about your family. I was just trying to win, sorry if I offended you." Sakura apologized to the silent insomniac. Gaara just nodded while sand suddenly wrapped around the pictures and moved them into the gourd on his back.

"Kankuro, here are your puppet part's! And I know how important it is to have extra parts on hand, so sorry for taking them, but don't worry, I didn't damage them!" Sakura said cheerfully. Kankuro checked them for damage anyway, though.

"Neji, your scroll's on Fate and Destiny," Sakura said while handing them to Neji.

"Just make sure that you never touch these ever again." Neji said while glaring at her.

"Will do!" Sakura said while feeling slightly worried.

"Dude, you have wall hangings of Fate and Destiny? How lame can you get?" Kiba asked Neji, while Naruto and Lee laughed. They shut up with a glare from Tenten though. That or it could have been the weapons that she was pulling out.

"And Hinata. Don't worry, I'd never give these away, and I don't really think that you should give them away. They probably hold special memories or something for you, so keep them as long as you want. And it was wrong of me to take them, will you forgive me?" Sakura said while looking worried. She was, but the kids didn't know whether to trust her on this.

"S-sure, M-miss S-s-sakura." Hinata stuttered while swiftly grabbing the plushies away.

"Uh, you don't have to call me 'miss' if you don't want to." Sakura said while sweat dropping a little.

"O-okay." After saying this, Hinata quickly ducked behind Shino and Kiba, and stayed there the rest of the time that they were out there.

"And last but not least, Temari. How come you have such a big fan?" Sakura asked while trying to hand the fan over to Temari one-handed. _It was so much easier to carry one-handed!_ Sakura thought.

"Because I use it to hit idiots over the head with. And to scare governesses with." Temari said while in a bad mood. After all, she did lose the challenge. Oh, and so did everyone else, too.

"Uh-right. Well, I suppose it's almost dinner time, so you should probably go and get ready." Sakura said, remembering that she was supposed to be in charge. With a little grumbling on the part of the kids, they went inside to get ready for supper.

**An: I'm done! I'm finally done! After 19 fricken pages, I'm done! Pardon me as I dance for joy! This means that after I post this, my sister, b4ndg33k, can work on more of her stories, and won't get mad at me! Oh, and if you see anything similar between her stories and mine, like an inside joke sort of thing, it's because we both came up with it. So we can both use it. Also, insanely sorry for the late update, I had wanted to get this up yesterday, but because of a stupid thunderstorm, I had to get off of the computer. But it's here now. Oh, don't forget to review! Please. It's how I know if I'm not wasting my time, and pointlessly upsetting my sister for no reason. And while upsetting her is fun, it's more fun if it's justified, cause then she can't do anything about it. Well, I better get off now, and enjoy the rest of my birthday, so please review, and byes!**


	6. Dinner time

**An: Um, hey, I'm back with another chapter. Hope you enjoy! By the way, I'm surprised nobody mentioned Naruto calling Sasuke 'Father Sasuke', or Sasuke's dead wife in a review. Though I didn't get many. hint hint nudge nudge say no more, a nod's as good as a wink to a blind bat. Yes, I did get that from Monty Python. And I don't own it, they do. Anyways, on with the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Sound of Music, nor do I own Naruto. The random people who own The Sound of Music, own The Sound of Music. And Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto. Wow, can't believe I spelled his name right on the first try. Awesome.**

**Key-thing no jutsu! : **_This means_ Inner Sakura is saying something.

_This means_ random thoughts and stuff.

"Okay, so the kids are busy putting their things away, and there is fifteen minutes left before supper. So, should we wear anything fancy, since it's our first night, or set an example and show that we're going to be there a while, and wear something casual?" Sakura asked herself while pacing around in her room, luckily with the door closed.

_Uh, well, um, look, how should I know, huh? Why don't you ask one of the nicer kids?_

"Well, I'm pretty sure that they don't like me right now, because of the whole 'Game' thing, so that probably won't work. Come on, your supposed to be the one with the common sense, so what do we do?" Sakura said slightly freaking out that she only had ten minutes until supper.

_Okay, so, how about this. You wear something semi-formal, so that way, it works!_

"Great idea! But do we have something semi-formal?" Sakura asked.

_Don't ask me, just look already, and then we have to find our way down to the dining room!_

"Damn, your right!" Sakura exclaimed while rushing to the dresser and pulling out random clothing items. She finally found what she needed, a nice dress, **(An: Yeah, don't know what counts as semi-formal or not, so just work with me. And anyways, in the movie, she did wear a dress, though that could have been because all the women wore dresses. But oh, well.)**

Sakura busied herself with putting the dress on, and then checked in the mirror to see if it would work. She decided that it would, and also put her long hair up in a bun, so that way it wouldn't be in her face, and she could have a clear look at the little troublemakers to see if they would plan something. When she looked at the clock on the wall again, she saw that she only had three minutes to locate the dining room before she would be late. So Sakura broke out in a run in to the hallway, and made it to the stairs when she ran into something big and orange. Yes, she collided into Naruto.

"Ow, hey, watch where your running, lady, you're gonna make me late for supper! Dattebayo!" Naruto shouted to her. "Oh, it's you. What do you want; you're going to make me miss out on my ramen!" Naruto whined.

"Well, I know I'm probably going to make you late, but I don't know where the dining room is." Sakura explained with a pleading face. Yes, even Sakura was willing to beg at this minute, because she didn't want to be late, and she wanted to make a good impression.

"What? Does that mean that you didn't find it when you were looking for us earlier today? Man, talk about lame, dattebayo!" Naruto said laughing.

"Yeah, that is pretty lame," Sakura admitted. "How about this, you lead to the dining room, and I'll take the fall if you; I'll even give you my ramen. How's that sound?" Sakura asked.

Naruto thought for about three seconds, and then grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her down the stairs, through one of the hallways on the right, and through the third door on the left.

_Big house…_ Sakura thought to herself, and her Inner self agreed.

They got there just in time, apparently, Naruto taking the seat next to Sasuke, and Sakura taking the only seat left, at the very end of the table.

"Finally, Naruto, we were beginning to think that you were sick, or something!" Ino complained to Naruto.

"Huh? Why would I be sick, I wasn't earlier, dattebayo?" Naruto said confusedly. Some of his siblings stole a quick look at Sakura, and then looked back at Naruto, while the rest just rolled their eyes.

_What, do they think that I made him sick, or something? Why did they just look at me?_ Sakura asked her inner self.

_Maybe they still don't forgive you for the whole 'stealing their precious treasures', or something._

"Well, for one thing, you have been asking for ramen for dinner every night for the past two weeks, and on the day when we finally have it, you're late getting here." Sasuke said while unfolding his napkin. "Then again, so is your governess. Were you holding her up, like how you did with one of the other's?"

"N-no! I-I was stacking my ramen when I remembered supper, and on my way here, I ran into her! I'm totally innocent!" Naruto explained.

"Um, it's true, Captain. I was lost on my way here, when I asked Naruto for directions." Sakura said, trying to defend Naruto. She didn't want to see him get in trouble for something that he didn't do.

While this exchange was going on, the kids were turning their heads to when each person said something. Sasuke noticed this, and also noticed Choji eyeing the food (not everything was ramen. What kind of parent would Sasuke be if he just served ramen for dinner?), so he decided that they had waited long enough, and they all started eating dinner. Naruto made sure to get up and collect on his ramen-fee of helping Sakura.

"So, Miss Governess-san." Sasuke said after a while of mostly silent eating, excusing the usual fighting over food (Choji and Naruto).

"Yes, Captain?" Sakura asked wondering what he wanted to ask her.

"Do you have any experience caring for several teenagers?" Sasuke asked, getting straight to the point.

"Um, does looking after village children at special nunnery-sponsored charity events count?" Sakura asked slightly embarrassed that that was the best that she could come up with in front of Uchiha Sasuke. Yes, she wanted to make a very good impression on him. Getting to look after his kids was just a plus. Many of the said kids snorted into their ramen and other various food stuff at her weak attempt to answer.

"What ages were the kids that you looked after?" Sasuke asked, ignoring his kids. Sakura decided to follow his lead and ignore them as well.

"Um, about from five months to seven years."

"Right. Then you should have no problem with my kids." Sasuke said while smirking his famous smirk. A few of the more indignant kids protested at this. "See what I mean?" Sasuke said while mussing up Naruto's hair. Naruto just sulked at being singled out in front of the pretty governess. By the way, Naruto just decided that Sakura was pretty. And no, it had absolutely nothing to do with her giving him ramen.

"Heh heh." Sakura chuckled weakly, hoping that he was joking, while Inner Sakura was squealing at how gorgeous Sasuke's smirk was, and wondering how handsome he'd be if he smiled.

"So, you can look after kids. Can you fight?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, Lady Tsuna- I mean, the Reverend Mother taught me some, but mostly I just punch things. It works, though." Sakura said, while trying not to sound like an idiot.

Tenten's P.O.V. (For the first time, someone's point of view!)

I was in the middle of eating my supper (NOT ramen, Naruto already hogged it all, along with Choji), when Father decided to ask the Governess if she had any experience with kids. Well, teenagers, but that's beside the point. I was praying to myself that she hadn't.

"Um, does looking after village children at special nunnery-sponsored charity events count?" She asked. I wasn't the only one to snort into their food. Or at least what was left of it, thanks to Choji and Naruto. You could totally tell that she was trying to seem modest, or something. Just like what the governess five governesses' ago tried. Yeah, she got kicked out later that night when she was caught trying to sneak into Temari's room. Apparently, she thought it was Father's. Bet she got a surprise when Temari's ferret attacked her. Oh, Father's saying something.

"What ages were the kids that you looked after?" Father asked. Ha! Father only takes in experienced governess's, not _experienced_ governesses. That's why none of the others have lasted long!

Neji nudges my leg slightly, and I look at him out of the corner of my eye. He shakes his head slightly, as a warning. That's when I notice that I'm probably smiling a little too much for this conversation. I silently thanked him, and made my expression turn into a slightly neutral one.

"Um, about from five months to seven years." The Governess said. Please, if that's all the experience that she's had, then she won't stand a chance with us.

"Right. Then you should have no problem with my kids." Father told her while smirking. It's been a long time since I've seen him smirk; he never does when a governess is here. Wait, what did he say about us? Seems like some other's noticed too, so I guess I'm not the only one upset. Though now that I think about it, that does seem to fit some of the others. Like Naruto. Nothing against him, I mean, I love him, he's my brother, but he acts like a five year old. Look at him sulking when Father musses up his hair. A total five year old. Not at all like Neji, or some of the other's. Oh, Father's saying something again.

"So, you can look after kids. Can you fight?" Father asks. He has to ask this, because the Governess is supposed to 'look after us' while we train, and make sure we don't kill each other accidentally. Not one of the Other Governess's has been able to say yes, except for Granny Chiyo. She was actually pretty cool, but then Naruto had to scare her out of here, saying that her dead son and his wife were upset she was here. I think Naruto was just upset because she actually tried to discipline him, and was acting like how a real governess should.

"Well, Lady Tsuna- I mean, the Reverend Mother taught me some, but mostly I just punch things. It works, though." She says.

Wow, wonder of wonders. She can actually fight. But what's up with 'just punch things'? That's kind of lame. Though apparently 'it works'. And why did she start to call her Reverend Mother Lady-something? Does that mean that she's not really a Reverend Mother? I'll have to talk to Neji about this later; maybe he has some ideas about it.

"What do you mean punch things? You don't look that strong." Kiba asks her rather rudely. Though, since she's a governess, I suppose that she doesn't need respect.

"Well, I suppose that I'm just stronger than I look." The Governess said with a strained smile on her face. She's probably thinking that he's annoying, or something. She also probably just made it up.

"Yeah, but a Reverend Mother taught you? What's that about doesn't sound like a holy official to me." Ino said while poking more holes in her story. If it weren't for the fact that Father said that she came from a convent, then I would probably be thinking that she lied about that. But Father has all sorts of sources, so he couldn't be wrong about that.

"Well, she's not your typical Reverend Mother. Um, how should I put this, let's see, uh, she kept her personality from before she entered the convent.

Back in Lady Tsunade's office, Tsunade sneezed. Then ordered Shizune to get her a tissue, and some cold medicine.

"What's she like? How old is she?" Naruto said cheerfully.

"Um, you probably don't want to know if you want your impression of a Reverend Mother to stay intact. As for how old she is, she's about fifty, though she doesn't look it." The Governess said while smiling and sweat dropping. Impressive that she's held out this long, I would have thought that she would have exploded and started yelling a while ago.

"What do you mean, 'she doesn't look it'?" Choji asked innocently. Good for you, Choji. Find out what she's really like, and poke more holes in her story.

"Well, you know how some women don't like to grow old gracefully? Well, the Reverend Mother takes it to the extreme. Like how some people use botox, she uses a jutsu that she created to mask her real appearance, so she looks like she's in her twenty's or thirty's. I think she's looked like that for about fifteen years, now." The Governess says while looking off into the distance. Danger, danger! The story's starting to look plausible now! It doesn't look like she's faking that far-away expression of remembrance! I should know, Lee and I have to listen to Neji break down people's expressions all the time!

Back to normal-view, or what's happening to everyone!

"No way, Botox-no-jutsu!?" Naruto shouted out.

Sakura was looking off into the distance, remembering once when some drunken guy started trying to flirt with Lady Tsunade, only to find out how old she really was. Sakura shuttered at the memory, only to be brought back out of memory-land by Sasuke's next question.

"Do you have any other skills that will help you with the kids?" Sasuke asked, trying to get the conversation back on track. He was slightly irritated that Sakura went along with everyone's bantering, though that might be an indication that they're starting to get along. Though there are still some skeptics.

"Well, the Reverend Mother also taught me some medical ninjutsu, so I suppose I'm a medic." Sakura said while desperately wanting to look down, though that would have been a sign of weakness in front of the little--angels. Sasuke seemed to like this, as he pondered how effective his private army would be with a medical ninja. And if the Reverend Mother was who he thought it was, then Sakura would be perfect for his kids.

"Hmm, that would be helpful for when the kids practice or something happens, like Tenten snapping again and turning Naruto into a pin cushion." Sasuke said while slightly smirking again.

_Aw, how come he's making such a small smirk? I liked his other one more. _Inner Sakura pouted inside Outer Sakura's head.

"B-but, he deserved it, he-he stole one of my weapon scrolls!" Tenten protested.

"I never said he didn't deserve it." Sasuke said while smirking with his eyes closed.

Something that all the children thought just then was that they had never seen Sasuke smirk so much in front of anyone but themselves, and some of his closer friends.

**An: So, how did you like that? I admit, I had some trouble coming up with dinner convo. , but I got through it. Hopefully. So, I guess this counts as a filler chapter. I know I said that I would do everything in my power as an authoress to make Shino sing, but there was no opportunity. So, sorry. Next chapter is Temari singing with a "mysterious individual", and then after that, should be when everyone sings, so Shino will sing then. Again, sorry that he couldn't sing now, but I couldn't do it, unless he just spontaneously started singing during dinner, turning it into a cheap dinner theatre and that would be very O.O.C., so I hope you'll understand. This brings me to my next topic. Yeah, I know this is turning longer than it should, but here me out. At least it isn't as long as last time. Never again. That's all I'll say. Anyways, since the story is technically a musical, and I don't want to have to do random songs from the movie when I don't have to, if you want a character to sing a song, no matter where it's from, no matter who it is, as long as it's Google-able, they'll do it. So even Hinata singing Avril Lavigne's Hot is possible. Oh, and on a side note, about Tenten. The reason why she's acting that way is because she's a total Daddy's girl (the reason for this will be revealed later. Though don't count on the next chapter.), and she and her siblings have been exposed within a few short years several governess's who were supposed to look after them, but only wanted to get close to their dad, so they have some emotional scars. Anyways, please review!**


	7. Dinner discussions

**An: So, I'm back, and I have a new chapter! Whoo hoo! Oh, and I know I'm not the best about updating, but I'm starting school next week, so it's going to be a while until I update again. But that's okay. Well, for me, because for just this chapter, I'm going to see if I can get five reviews! That's right, five reviews for this chapter, just this chapter (I'm not greedy, I just want to see if I can get five review's per chapter) and I'll update. But I have to get five reviews. So please review!**

Dinner proceeded pretty much normally after that, and everyone was busy digging into their desserts **(Sand sibs: NOT desert!)** when something happened. But before that, this happened.

A young man rode up to the doorway of the Uchiha mansion on his bicycle, with a medium-sized canvas bag/satchel-thing over his shoulder. He was in fact a messenger boy. **(Random person, who you'll see later: Hey!)** Oh, alright. Messenger MAN. **(RPWYSL: Thanks for the man, but I'm not a messenger person! Me: Well, if you'll accept 'person', why did I have to go through the whole 'man' thing? RPWYSL: Just say it! Me: If you can say it here, why do I have to say it? RPWYSL: Fine, I will say it! Me: Okay, so he's the telegram carrier. Happy? RPWYSL: I thought you wanted me to say it. Me: Fine, just be un-happy, see if I care!)** Ahem, sorry about that. Anyways, the TELEGRAM CARRIER got off of his bike and walked up to the door. Before knocking on it, he ruffled through his bag of telegrams and found the one that he was supposed to deliver. He then looked around nervously, but then straitened up and knocked on the door confidently. After a few moments, Dosu opened the door.

"It's late. Why are you here?" Dosu answered slowly and weirdly, making sure to creep the guy out. Said gentleman took an involuntary step back, but then proceeded to ask rather cockily, "Where's Zaku? I thought HE was the butler. Unless you've traded jobs?"

"He's on a date with Kin. I'm filling in. And I am still the groundskeeper, so when your business is finished, I want you off of my grounds." Dosu said in the same manner that he had before, without blinking the only eye that he had visible behind bandages that covered half of his head. **(An: like in the manga and anime. Come on people, use those imaginations!)**

"Uh, right. Well, I have a telegram here for Captain Uchiha. You know, because I'm a _telegram carrier._ Which means I carry _telegrams._" The mystery person said, emphasizing certain words for the authoress. But Dosu didn't know that.

"What do you want, a medal? But anyway, hand over the telegram, and I'll give it to the Master." Dosu said. And no, he doesn't mean Nobunaga. **(An: Sorry, couldn't help putting in the Samurai Deeper Kyo reference. He he, it's my favorite series, along with Naruto. Sorry, I'll shut up.)**

"Uh, right. Well, here it is." The mysterious random person said while handing the telegram to Dosu. Dosu then took it, and closed the door in the young man's face. The young man stood there for a moment, and then when he thought the coast was clear, he walked over to the window next to the door, and looked in. When he saw nothing, he headed around the side of the house, careful to not be seen.

Back with Dosu (this is the part where something happened).

Dosu took the telegram with him, and slowly walked away from the entrance hall and towards the dining room. And by slowly walking, the authoress means that he was walking by putting one foot in front of him, and then dragging the other foot along behind him. Yes, he knew that he looked like a hunched-back Igor, and yes, he did this on purpose. What this purpose is, however, is unknown. But that's not what this story is about.

When Dosu reached the dining room, he knocked twice, then once, then twice again, and then started off on the melody for Low Rider. Once Dosu started on the chorus, the door was thrown open to reveal an irritated Uchiha Sasuke.

"Yes?" Sasuke asked the grounds man.

"A telegram for you, Master." Dosu said in his slow manner.

"Zaku leave you in charge of the house while he went on another date with Kin again, didn't he?" Sasuke said while reaching for the telegram. Dosu started muttering under his breath, and was about to leave when Temari interrupted him. Sasuke was making his way back to his seat while reading his letter with interest.

"Who delivered the telegram, Dosu?" Temari asked while trying to look like she didn't really care.

"The same misfit who always does. Can't he get a decent job, away from my grounds, already?" Dosu said while 'walking' off. He muttered the last part, but everyone could still here him, anyway.

_Yeah, can't he?_ Shikamaru thought to himself. Temari had a secret look that crossed her face, which only Sakura seemed to catch. Temari then asked to be excused, and Sasuke said she could be. As she was getting up, Sasuke made an announcement.

"Kids and governess, I have an announcement." See? Told you. Anyway, though, the kids looked at him in curiosity, and Sakura was quietly fuming in her head. _How could he just call us 'governess', yes, we are the governess, but we still have a name!_

"Tomorrow, I shall be leaving for the Village Hidden in the Grass." Sasuke said with a little bit of flourish, like he expected his kids to be happy. Poor Sasuke.

"Ah, come _on_, Father Sasuke!" Naruto complained.

"Not again!" Tenten, Ino, Kiba, Lee, and Choji chorused at the same time. The silent/shy ones just stayed quiet, but radiated auras of displeasure.

Sakura looked around at the kids, wondering if this was something that happened a lot. Sasuke just looked slightly surprised at this outburst, but when he regained his composure, he looked on at his kids in disapproval. The kids returned to eating their food like nothing happened, until Hinata worked up the courage to ask, "H-h-how l-long will y-you b-b-b-be g-gone this time, F-father?"

"That is a good question. Probably for about three months." Sasuke said while eating his dessert, tomato-flavored jello, with some random slices of tomato still in it.

"Are you going to see the Baroness Karin, again?" Naruto complained, after the sound of all of the kids groaning died down.

"When are we going to meet her?" Kiba asked.

"Idiot, why would she want to see you?" Kankuro asked, but teasing, as Kiba was his best friend.

"As a matter of fact, you will get to meet her," Sasuke said, and at this, there was a quiet amongst the kids. Temari had left by now, but she was filled in later. "I'm bringing her back her with me when I come back. Along with Uncle Kakashi." Sasuke said this last part grudgingly. The kids started cheering at this.

Temari walked quickly away from the dining room, trying not to draw attention to herself. So she was missing out on what her father was telling everyone. She would just ask her brother's later. For now, she had a very important meeting to attend to. And she couldn't be late.

Temari started into a slow jog outside, past the fountain in the courtyard, past some of the trees on the right, until she reached the area around the gazebo. Here, is where she would meet her secret boyfriend. Yes, her secret boyfriend is the telegram carrier, what, you couldn't tell? But anyway, Temari stopped short, to catch her breath. The run didn't actually take her breath, but it was for appearances. She didn't want her secret boyfriend to think that she was butch, or tomboyish, but instead someone who he would want to protect. Yes, I know that this is Temari we are talking about, and yes, I know this seems OOC, but her boyfriend had already said that he didn't like girls like that. So she 'changed' herself for around him. So let's meet the guy, shall we?

"Kabuto-kun?" Temari called out to the dark. A figure came out from behind a tree that was near her, and approached.

"You came!" Kabuto said, sounding very happy about that. It was hard to see him in the dark.

"Of course I came, silly! I'll always come!" Temari said happily while running into his arms, and embracing him.

**(An: Okay, just a warning. From here, to about when Kabuto leaves, and from now on, whenever Temari is around Kabuto, she will be OOC for plot purposes. The authoress acknowledges that if Temari were really here, she would beat the authoress for what she is doing to her character. Have a nice day/night/morning/whatever! Temari: There you are… Me: eep.)**

"Well, it's just that, what with your father, and your siblings. I never know if you will visit me. Plus, your grounds man is senile, and always chases me away." Kabuto said after a while of 'catching up'.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. I can always come up with an excuse. I have to see you; your picture's not enough." Temari pouted cutely. Yeah, through me through a loop too. Kabuto laughed a little at this. What she said, not what the authoress said. "It's just, it's always so long before we can see each other again."

"I know what you mean, but we get to see each other when your father gets a telegram." Kabuto said while lifting Temari's chin up, and stroking her hair. Temari just sighed.

"That's true, but father hardly ever gets any telegrams; he's not very popular, and doesn't have many friends. He would probably get more if we didn't screen for death threats, or threats of any kind." Temari added thoughtfully, while stroking Kabuto's cheek.

"Well, maybe I could deliver one here by accident. That would work, though probably only once."

"Heh heh." Temari said, while snuggling into Kabuto's chest again. _This is almost perfect._ Temari thought. Suddenly, a thought came to her.

"Kabuto-kun?" Temari asked while looking back up at his face, into his eyes.

"Yes, Temari-chan?" Kabuto asked while cupping her cheek into his hand. Temari snuggled into his hand.

"Did you miss _me_?" Temari asked him while batting her eyelids seductively.

"Every second that we were gone. In fact, I even thought about sending you a telegram, so that I would have an excuse to come!" Kabuto said cheerfully. Temari's curiosity got the best of her.

"Really? What would you have said?"

"Why does it matter? I'm here now, aren't I?" Kabuto asked, feeling slightly confused.

"Oh, please send me a telegram! Here, I'll start. Dear Temari…"

"Dear Temari-chan," Kabuto said, starting off where Temari left off. He pulled gently out of their embrace, and led Temari to the bench that was next to the gazebo. "I wish I could tell you how much you mean to me, stop. However, this line is already too expensive, so I'll just leave off here, stop." Kabuto said, joking. "Sincerely, Kabuto."

"Sincerely?" Temari asked, upset with the ending.

"Cordially." Kabuto said, trying to make up for whatever he said to make her upset. Meh, men.

"Cordially?" Temari said in shock. She then looked away from Kabuto.

"With love?" Kabuto said to Temari, while taking her hand. At this, Temari hugged Kabuto again.

"Heh heh, you really are easy to please." Kabuto said when Temari hugged him. On the inside, Temari was a little miffed, but anything for Kabuto. But still.

"What do you mean?" Temari said pulling away from the hug so that she could look at Kabuto better.

"Well, you're such a baby!" Kabuto said while chuckling, though not cruelly. More like teasingly.

"I'm sixteen! I'm not a baby!" Temari said indignantly. Kabuto laughed a little at that.

"Oh, really?" Kabuto said.

**An: Okay, so they didn't get around to singing in this chapter, but first thing next chapter! Yeah, I know that's what I keep saying, but if it's not in the next chapter, then that signifies that Temari and Shikamaru will never end up together. Same goes for Sasuke and Sakura, Naruto and Hinata, Neji and Tenten, and Ino with either Kiba or Sai. Yeah, I come up with weird things, sometimes. Whatever. So, how many of you guessed that the 'secret boyfriend' was Kabuto? Probably everyone, I can't really do the whole suspense thing, I always give it away. Anyways, how did you like my little 'romance' scene earlier? As this is my first fic, that would be my first 'romance' scene. Tell me how I did, by reviewing!**


	8. Temari can lie through her teeth

"What do you mean

**An: Well, here's the next chapter, please enjoy! Did that sound like a take out greeting-thing to you, too? Anyway, sorry that Sakura's not in this chapter, but she will definitely be in the next chapter, so don't worry. Plus, even though she's not in this chapter, Sasuke, if briefly, so there you go. Hope you enjoy! Again with the take out thing.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Naruto related except for some of the books, some random awesome junk, a Temari cosplay outfit, and that's about it. The actual series, and titles and rights? Not a chance. I should really get a job. **

**Dedication: To jayray557, for waiting patiently for me to update, and to my other reviewers, SilverxWolf, your awesome, you rock, don't let anyone tell you different, xo-music-of-the-night, I'm so, so glad that you love the story, here's some more funny Temari and Kabuto action down below, to Falconeyes, two things: cool name, and thanks for being my first anonymous review. You all rock, keep on rocking and review this time, as well. Heh he :3**

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"_What do you mean?" Temari said pulling away from the hug so that she could look at Kabuto better._

_"Well, you're such a baby!" Kabuto said while chuckling, though not cruelly. More like teasingly._

_"I'm sixteen! I'm not a baby!" Temari said indignantly. Kabuto laughed a little at that._

_"Oh, really?" Kabuto said._

_**"You wait, little girl, on an empty stage, for fate to turn the light on…"**_ Kabuto sung to Temari. He wanted to make her happy, and for some reason, he felt like singing to her, like some other power was making him.

**(An: he he, you know it's true. Neji: I heard 'fate'. Me: go away, your ruining the dramatic tension! Neji: what 'dramatic tension'?)**

_**"Your life, little girl, is an empty page, that men will want to write on."**_ Kabuto continued, somewhat against his will.

_**"To write on…"**_ Temari sung back, while leaning towards him flirtatiously. And yes, that is a real word. Kabuto leaned back a bit, but then he straitened out and started his singing again.

_**"You are sixteen, going on seventeen. Baby, it's time to think."**_ Kabuto sung while lightly poking Temari on the head. _**"Better beware, be canny and careful. Baby, you're on the brink."**_

Temari couldn't contain her playful side, and had to ask. "On the brink of what? And what exactly is 'canny', and what should I be careful about?"

"Canny means to be smart, and I'm just getting to that." Kabuto said while taking Temari's hands in his before he started his serenade again.

_**"You are sixteen going on seventeen; fellows will fall in line. Eager young lads and rogues and cads will offer you food and wine."**_ Kabuto continued.

"Yeah, but I won't accept from anyone but you. But then again, my father won't want me to drink wine; apparently because he's with the police force, he has some problems with underage drinking. But if it weren't for that, I would only accept from you!" Temari told Kabuto, to show that she only had feelings for him.

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Meanwhile, back at the Uchiha mansion…

The kids (minus Temari) were gathered in Shikamaru and Choji's room, discussing The Governess, as Tenten had named her, and their Father's leaving-yet again. They were meeting in this particular room because Choji had snacks that didn't include ramen, and he was willing to share them-as long as he got to eat the last bite. Everyone was used to this, though.

"So, what do you think of The Governess? She seemed kind of fishy to me." Tenten voiced to the group.

"Yeah, right. You're only saying that 'cause she's a governess, and she stole your precious pictures." Naruto taunted. He actually liked the governess, she was funny in her own way, and she was actually nice to him. Unlike other governess's.

"Well, she shouldn't have come into our rooms! And she did that, when we didn't even do anything! What's with her?" Ino put forth.

"Hm. Well, we did insult her dress, and we did challenge her to the game before we even knew her. Maybe it was our fate to have our rooms broken into." Neji pondered. Tenten quickly turned to him, with a look that clearly said 'betrayed'. Neji wrapped his arm around her, and pulled her into a hug, and Tenten looked like she had forgiven him. Slightly.

"Well, all Governess talk aside, what about father leaving again?" Kiba asked. Everyone seemed to be distracted by this change in topic.

"Yeah, he said he was going to be gone for _three whole months_ this time. What's up with that? What are we to him, just some kids he can dump anytime he wants?" Kankuro asked. A few people nodded in agreement.

"No, I'm sure that's not it! I mean- Father Sasuke would never just abandon us like that, it's not like him. I bet it's that woman he goes to see, that's why he's always away!" Naruto said in Sasuke's defense.

"…At least we get to meet her, this time." Gaara said.

"Wait guys! What if Father and this woman get together? What's going to happen to us?" Tenten asked in a panic.

"That would be unlike father, and very un-youthful for him to just leave us!" Lee said.

"B-but we don't even know a-anything about her. She-she might not like us." Hinata mumbled.

"This is confusing. What do you think, Shikamaru?" Choji asked his best friend and roommate/sibling. The lazy shougi lover wasn't paying attention, though. He was currently looking outside.

"Whatcha' looking at, Shikamaru?" Ino asked.

"Temari and the telegram guy are outside. And he's _singing _to her."

"What?! Well, tell me she's punching him, or kicking him, or something!" Kankuro said while rushing over to the window. Everyone else followed over, having never previously known about Temari and her secret lover.

"Oh-my-gosh! She's not! She's going along with it! Do you know what they've said yet?" Ino asked. She loved gossip of all kind, and she loved knowing this sort of thing about her siblings, so she could have blackmail on them. Actually, all of the kids liked this, but this was one thing that they didn't know about.

"I believe that before you came over here, Temari was saying something about if anyone had to offer her an alcoholic beverage, it would be him that she would accept from, or something like that. I have the listening jutsu on right now, so if you listen close, then you should be able to hear it too."

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Back with our couple…

"_**Totally unprepared are you, to face a world of men. Timid and shy and scared are you, of things beyond your kin."**_ Kabuto continued. Neither he nor Temari knew of the audience that they had, that was currently laughing themselves to death.

"_**You need someone older and wiser, telling you what to do. I am seventeen, going on eighteen, I'll take care of you."**_ Kabuto said while standing up with Temari and dancing around with her for a bit.

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Back with the kids…

"Oh, man. That's just too funny! Temari-our Temari, doesn't take shit from anyone Temari, timid a-and shy a-a-and _scared?_" Naruto said between laughing and gasping for breath.

"Yeah, that seems more like Hinata there, no offence." Kiba said to her.

"N-none taken. But what I can't believe is that Temari-chan is allowing him to say that. Normally, at the 'I-I'll take c-care of you' thing, T-Temari-chan would punch him. Sh-she must really like him." Hinata said, giving some words of wisdom.

Hinata's words sobered everyone up, for a minute. Then they started talking about what they would say to her when they next saw her.

"We shouldn't tell her that we know just yet. While we know, and she doesn't know that we know, we can have our own private laugh, and then when something happens that we need her to do something for us-but it has to be a big something- then we can tell her, and use that as leverage. Meanwhile, something even bigger could happen, and that way, we can steadily gain more and more leverage over her." Shikamaru said. Everyone stopped and looked at him for a minute.

"…And how long have you known about this, but haven't told us, Shikamaru?" Shino asked.

"About seven years, give or take." Shikamaru said while not looking at anyone in particular. He then went back to looking out at Temari and her dancing lover, when he got a brilliant idea.

"Hey, guys. Want to play a prank on Temari?"

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Temari and Kabuto were dancing around, and were about to hug each other, when a sudden thunder storm changed their plans. They quickly looked about for some form of shelter, when they saw the gazebo. The two lovers then made a run for it, and made it in time before the serious torrent of rain came.

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"Thunderstorm-no-jutsu rocks! Yosh!" Lee said to everyone else in the room.

"And why did you all choose to do a 'thunderstorm-no-jutsu' tonight?" A voice came from behind. Everyone turned around quickly to see Sasuke standing in the doorway, with a slight curious/irritated/tired look on his face.

"Because we were practicing our jutsu before we went to bed. The governess made us." Naruto said quickly.

"Uh-huh. And where's Temari?" Sasuke asked, hoping to catch them off-guard if they were lying.

"She went to bed already." Naruto lied again.

Sasuke just looked at all of his kids skeptically, before reminding them that he would be leaving first thing in the morning, and left. When he left, they turned back to what they were doing, to see if the sudden thunderstorm had dampened their mood. It didn't.

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Temari and Kabuto were looking out the windows to the gazebo, watching the rain come down, when Temari suddenly turned to Kabuto.

_**"I am sixteen, going on seventeen; I know that I'm naïve. Fellows I meet may tell me I'm sweet, and willingly I believe. I am sixteen, going on seventeen; innocent as a rose. Bachelor dandies, drinkers of brandies, what do I know of those?"**_ Temari sang while sitting down on a bench, and showing off her legs.

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There was a moment of silence among the kids as they paid witness to the huge lies that their sister was saying with a straight face.

"Wow. I wonder if I'll be able to lie with such a strait face someday, too?" Naruto asked. The person closest to him (Shino), hit him over the head.

"The thing that gets me is the whole not knowing about drinkers of brandy. How does someone not know about them self?" Kankuro asked nobody in particular.

"Probably because she uses whiskey instead. She doesn't really know anyone that drinks something so- light." Shikamaru replied. He couldn't take his eyes off of the scene in front of him.

"That's not necessarily true. We haven't been able to prove anything." Gaara said.

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Temari walked over to where Kabuto was standing, staring at her with a smile on his face.

_**"Totally unprepared am I, to face a world of men. Timid and shy and scared am I of things beyond my kin."**_ Temari sang to Kabuto while taking his hand in hers, and rubbing his cheek and running her hand through his hair with her other hand. Kabuto leaned into her touch, with an expression that said that he really enjoyed it.

_**"I need someone older and wiser telling me what to do. You are seventeen, going on eighteen; I'll depend on you!"**_ After Temari said this, Kabuto pulled her head to his and gave her a quick, but still intimate, kiss. After kissing her, Kabuto left, before the groundskeeper found him. Temari stood there in shock for a minute, before rushing out into the rain and screaming 'yes', that was lost in the thunderstorm.

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The kids were gathered by the window, enraptured by the sordid love affair that their sister was having with the telegram carrier. As Ino pointed out, this was like something out of a soap opera. Needless to say, all talk about Sakura and Sasuke was forgotten.

One by one, they steadily left Shikamaru and Choji's room to go to their respective rooms and go to sleep. As they were leaving, Choji noticed Shikamaru's hand clench in his fist, and a tight, tired look cross his face.

"Come on, Shikamaru. Let's go to bed already, she'll still be there tomorrow morning." Choji said to his depressed best friend, trying to cheer him up. Choji was the only one that Shikamaru confided in about his feelings for Temari, so he knew, or had a pretty good idea, about what Shikamaru was feeling right now.

"Yeah. But she'll still be _his_ as well." Shikamaru said sadly, knowing that Choji was only trying to make him feel better. Unfortunately, Shikamaru couldn't be consoled so easily. "Let's just go to bed, Choji."

Choji looked at Shikamaru for a moment, and then handed his potato chip bag to him. Shikamaru took it, and looked inside. All that was in it was the last chip. Feeling guilty about making his friend worry, he took the last chip.

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Temari was still out dancing in the rain, celebrating about getting her first kiss, and from Kabuto no less, when a very important fact dawned on her.

"Crap. How am I supposed to get in?"

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**An: Well, how did you like it? You know how **_**I**___**will know? By your reviews. They seriously make my day, so please review. Tell me your thoughts about what I've written, so that I'll know how good or bad or in between I am. Thanks in advance to those who review, and **_**hiss**_** to those who don't. So please review, and get brownies, with peanut butter cookies. You know you want them.**


	9. Favorite things and thunderstorms

**An: Well, here you go, the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it, and sorry for the wait. I just started on a new story, so check it out if you want.**

**Disclaimer: Maya-chan2007 does not own Naruto or the Sound of Music, nor does she own any music or anything else associated with the aforementioned titles/series. Just wanted to sound important and high-class there. Heh heh heh.**

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Sakura was putting the rest of her luggage away in the closet, already dressed in her nightgown for bed, when there was a knock at the door.

_I wonder who that could be._ Sakura wondered. She went to the door and opened it for the maid, Kin.

"Housekeeping." Kin said while entering the room carrying what looked like bolts of cloth. Kin closed the door behind her with her foot, and then dropped the cloth on the bed.

"Housekeeping? But I thought you were the maid. Isn't a housekeeper someone who works at an inn?" Sakura asked, feeling confused.

"Yes! Finally, someone gets it! Everyone else around here either just looks at me like I'm crazy, or doesn't bother noticing." Kin said while congratulating Sakura and deciding that she might just possibly like Sakura.

"Um. Right. So, what's the cloth for?" Sakura asked, pointing to the cloth.

"Oh, yeah. Sasuke-sama said that you needed new clothes, and he found out that you can make your own from your Reverend Mother, so he had these specially ordered. Something about scarring his children for life with the old dress that you were wearing." Kin said lightly. "Out of curiosity, what did you do with it?"

Sakura twitched for a second, and then calmed herself down enough to form a coherent sentence. "I burned it first chance I had."

"Hm. Good idea. Well, since you weren't naked at dinner, according to Dosu, I assume that you have other clothes here as well?" Kin asked.

"Yes, it was just that one dress. I'll be alright for now, but I should probably go shopping for some new clothes and patterns later. Oh, then I would probably have to bring the kids along, since I'm their governess, and I don't trust them by themselves." Sakura said while putting her finger to the side of her mouth thoughtfully.

"You're smart. The governess before last left them at the food court for an hour to go flirt with some salesperson, and when she got back, the food court was roped off by police tape, Naruto, Lee, Hinata, Kiba, Neji, Tenten, Ino and Temari were already arrested, and the cops were just putting handcuffs on Shino and Choji. Kankuro and Gaara were sitting back watching what was happing while eating a hotdog. Apparently, Shikamaru thought the whole thing was troublesome and was currently trying to challenge the head of the S.W.A.T. team to a shougi match, to decide if they got off without their father knowing what happened. Then the guy tried to take him off to some foster home, along with the rest." Kin said, breaking off while laughing. "You should have seen the look on Sasuke-sama's face when he found out what happened, and that they wanted to take the kids away. I thought he was going to start bringing the army down on the officer who suggested that 'it would be in the kids best interest's to be separated and taken to foster homes.' I think the poor guy wet himself. Anyway, when the kids finally came home, they were grounded for half a year, and the governess was fired." Kin finished her story looking like it didn't really matter to her.

"What could have possibly happened so that the police were called in?" Sakura asked out loud, while inwardly swearing to herself that she would definitely find some way so that they were never left alone like that again.

"Food fight." Kin said simply.

_Wait. A food fight caused all of that to-?_ Sakura thought to herself.

_Well, we already saw how they don't like to loose. Maybe it was a really, really big food fight? And anyways, it just means that they have spunk._ Inner Sakura argued.

_Yeah, spunk that WE'RE responsible for._ Sakura pointed out to her inner self.

_Oh, yeah._

"So, should I ask the Captain if he has any particular places that he doesn't want the children to go to?" Sakura asked Kin.

"Definitely, but he has a list. Besides, Sasuke-sama is leaving first thing in the morning for the Village Hidden in the Grass, so you probably shouldn't disturb him." Kin said while heading for the door. After this, she had to scrub the floors, wash the windows, and make sure that there were no water or dirt marks on her carpets and floors.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot about that. And he said that he would be gone for three months?"

"If that's what Sasuke-sama said, then that's what he meant. Sasuke-sama always says what he means."

"Oh. It's just that I wonder how he can stand to be away from his kids for so long, when he seems like he really cares about them."

"He does really care for his children. It's just-" Kin broke off, and stepped away from the door, looking nervous.

"I'm not sure if I should be telling you this, since I hardly know you, but Sasuke-sama isn't only going to Grass for business." Kin said conspiratorially to Sakura.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, suddenly very interested.

_Please, please don't mean-_

"Well, for one thing, he's going to visit Baroness Karin. Last time he went to visit her, he stayed for half a year." Kin said matter-of-factly. After saying this, Kin left.

Sakura stood there for a minute, with only her thoughts and the sound of thunder for company.

_So, he already has someone…_ Sakura thought, feeling depressed.

_But-but maybe-maybe it's not-serious, or something!_

_Then why does he leave his kids, who he deeply cares for, for months on end, just to visit her?_

_Oh, come on, don't be so pessimistic! Maybe he's going there to dump her, so he can spend more time with his kids!_

_Yeah?_

_Hell yeah!_

_Then what is he going to do for the rest of the two months and 29 days that he's going to be there?_

_Uh-uh-look, this isn't helping, right?_

_Duh._

_Well, we are supposed to be here to help us become better-gulp-nuns, right?_

_Right…………_

_Well, then, it wouldn't have worked out anyway. And we should probably pray to Kami, or 'Jashin', or-or-what's that new god that's becoming popular on the Monk's side of the Abbey/Monastery?_

_What, you mean 'Pein'?_

_Yeah, that's it! We should pray to one of them._

_Let's pray to Kami. I don't think Lady Tsunade, or the rest of the nuns, would let us back in if we prayed to Jashin, and I don't really know what this 'Pein'-god is like, or what the religion is. For all we know, it could just be some nut-job that decided that he was a god, or something._

_Yeah, like that would ever happen._ **(An: How little you know…)**

So, after much internal debate, Sakura decided to pray to help her calm down. What she didn't know was that a figure was outside, waiting for her to turn her back to the window. That was on the third story. Go figure.

"Dear Kami-sama, I think I understand why you want me here, now. You want me to test to see if I am worthy to be a nun with Lady Tsunade and Shizune. You also want me here for the kids, for when their father can't be around. But despite their rough exteriors, and, admittedly, their semi-rough interiors, I know that they are good kids." Sakura started on her prayer to Kami after kneeling next to her bed.

Behind her the window slowly creaked open, and the figure slowly crept into the room, and-slowly started backing toward the door. Yes, people, this was Temari, trying to sneak in.

"So please, Kami-sama, please bless Naruto, Hinata, Shino, Kiba. Kami-sama, please also bless Shikamaru, Choji, and I suppose even Ino. Also bless Neji, Tenten-daddy's girl, uh. What is his name? Oh, well, Kami-bless what's-his-name. Kami-sama, please bless Kankuro and Gaara as well." By this point, Sakura knew that Temari was in her room, and trying to sneak by her. Although Temari was specially trained to be a ninja, and thus have good sneaking habits, Sakura was trained by Tsunade, so she knew she was there ever since she opened the window.

Temari was almost by the door, when what Sakura said next made her freeze in her tracks, and not just because the rain was making her cold.

"And now, dear Kami-sama, about Temari. Please help her see that I'm not an enemy, and that I'm not going to mistreat her and her siblings like past governesses. And while you're at it, also help her to tell me where she's been. As a nun, I have the right to keep her secrets."

"You're not going to tell father, or the others, are you?" Temari asked. Or commanded. Sakura wasn't really sure.

"Are you asking that, or ordering?" Sakura asked Temari.

"Um. Asking." Temari decided, since this seemed like the right path to not getting in trouble.

"Right. Well, want to tell me where you were, before I commit myself to an answer?" Sakura asked with a smile on her face.

_Argh. She's teasing me._ Temari thought. "I-went for a walk after dinner, and it started raining. I tried to get back in, but they had already locked up, and I didn't want to wake everyone up, so I came in through here. I saw the light on."

Sakura looked at her with a cocked eyebrow, and went over to the window to close it better. Sakura looked down out of curiosity, and noticed that she was in fact on the third story. She quickly whipped around, almost giving herself whiplash, and looked at Temari, who still stood there.

"How did you get in here?" Sakura asked amazed.

"Its how we always got in to play tricks on the governess. I climbed, using a climbing jutsu. Ino can make it in with a whole bundle of poison ivy." Temari said with her eyes gleaming. There's nothing she likes more than telling about successful pranks that her siblings and herself have pulled, than perhaps actually pulling them. And Kabuto. Definitely Kabuto.

Sakura looked at her for a minute, before she noticed Temari shiver slightly, and then smiled. She then beckoned Temari over to her.

"You know, if you wash that gown out, I doubt anyone will really notice. In the meantime, you could change into this," Sakura said while pulling a spare nightgown out of the closet, "and when you come out, we could talk." Sakura suggested. Temari quickly took the gown, and was about to enter the adjacent bathroom, when she turned around and faced Sakura again.

"Earlier I told you I don't need a governess. Well, I still don't, but I suppose you aren't so bad. Maybe-maybe- we could-possibly- be friends. Maybe." Temari said while walking into the bathroom and humming a random tune to herself.

After Temari left the room, Sakura quickly picked up the bolts of cloth, and put them in the closet. When she was done with that, Sakura set about the room, searching for any flowers that might actually by poison ivy.

As Sakura was searching a particularly suspicious vase in the corner, the door flew open, and Hinata stood at the door, shaking uncontrollably.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" Sakura said, feeling very concerned and motherly around Hinata. Before she could answer, however, another bolt of lightning struck outside, and when Sakura's eyes cleared of the flash, she saw that Hinata was gone. She was about to turn to look for her, maybe under the bed, or in the closet, when she noticed that she weighed more than usual.

Looking down, Sakura saw Hinata tightly hugging her, hiding her face. Sakura led Hinata to the bed and sat both of them down on it. Sakura started rubbing Hinata's back comfortingly.

"There, there. Now, tell me what happened? Did the thunder scare you?" Sakura asked in a soothing voice.

"Th-the th-thunder! A-and I-I h-had a h-h-horrible dream!" Hinata cried into Sakura's nightgown.

"There, there. Should I go get Tenten, or Ino-p-Ino?" Sakura asked.

"N-no. They-re a-asleep." Hinata said, starting to calm down a little.

"Oh, really?" Sakura asked. Because just then, Tenten and Ino ran into the room as well.

"What are you doing here?" Both Ino and Hinata asked simultaneously, with Hinata stuttering.

"Well, the thunder…" Tenten and Sakura said at the same time. All four looked at each other for a bit, before laughing hard.

"Sigh, that was funny. Well, all we need now is the boys." Sakura said, while looking expectantly at the door. It was still open.

"You won't see them, boys are brave!" Tenten said, defending her boyfriend. After she said this, another strategically, well-placed thunder clash sounded. All three girls huddled around Sakura at this point.

"Oh? And what do you call them?" Sakura said, while lifting her hand, difficultly, and pointing to her door.

Standing in the door way were the boys, looking like they had just bolted from their rooms in terror, even Shikamaru, and were trying to look like they hadn't.

"So, did you get scared too?" Sakura asked them while trying to get away from the Sakura-sandwich that the girls were making.

"U-us? Oh, no, WE weren't scared, we were just, uh, making sure YOU were okay." Naruto said, while trying to sound cool.

"Well, that was very kind of you, Naruto." Sakura said while pulling away successfully away from the girls. She walked over to her bed, and sat down on it, noticing that Hinata still had a hand on her gown.

"It wasn't my idea. It was Lee's!" Naruto said while pushing Lee forward.

"Lee! That's it, Kami-bless Lee!" Sakura said happily to the ceiling.

"What?! Why does bushy-brows get to be blessed, but we don't!" Naruto said angrily. Kiba nodded in agreement.

"Because, I've already blessed you, I just forgot Lee's name earlier. I did bless him, just not by name." Sakura said while looking at Hinata's hand on her sleeve. Sakura sighed, before motioning for everyone to just jump up on the bed with her.

Before everyone could move, another lighting bolt struck, and next thing Sakura knew, the kids were on her bed, huddled around her and each other with their heads hidden.

"Aw, why does the thunder have to be so loud, it's like it's striking right outside!" Ino complained.

"That's because it is. You know that dead tree that's about 500 meters to the south? It's now charcoal." Neji said, with his eyes slightly bugged out with veins surrounding them.

_Must be something he can do, like a jutsu, or something._ Sakura thought to herself, with Inner Sakura agreeing.

_I probably used too much chakra with the Thunderstorm-no-jutsu. And Naruto probably went overboard, like always._ Shikamaru thought as thunder sounded again, but slightly farther off than before.

"I-I hate t-the th-thunder!" Hinata said, her voice slightly muffled because she was still hiding her face in Sakura.

Sakura looked off in the distance, remembering her past…

_Sakura, age five, is huddled in a cheap hotel, hiding in the corner. It is storming outside. _

_"Sniff…sniff…I hate thunder!" Sakura cried to herself. _

_A figure approaches, and wraps Sakura into a hug._

_"It's okay, Sakura. I'm here, and so is Shizune. Your Lady Tsunade's here, it's okay." Tsunade said softly to Sakura, while slowly rocking her._

_"B-but Lady Tsunade, it-it's SCARY!!" Sakura cried as a bolt of lightning struck outside._

_"Yes, but you know how to make it not so scary?" Tsunade asked her kindly._

_"H-how?" Sakura asked while looking up._

_"Very simple, Sakura. By thinking of your favorite things, things that make you happy, and things that make you feel safe." Tsunade told her happily._

_"Really? What makes you feel happy and safe, Lady Tsunade?" Sakura asked, feeling curious. For some reason, Tsunade looked slightly sad at this question._

_"Well, I had a very good friend, who made me smile a lot. But he's gone now," Tsunade said while looking down. Suddenly, she smiled back at Sakura. "But that's okay, because I have Shizune, and you now, Sakura-chan, so I'm happy anyway."_

"How about this. To help us feel better, let's take our minds off of the thunderstorm, shall we?" Sakura asked the huddle of teenagers around her.

"…how would we do that?" Gaara asked. Sakura was slightly surprised that he spoke, but hid it well.

"Well, by thinking of our favorite things, or things that make us happy and make us feel safe." Sakura said, repeating the words that her mentor once said to her.

"How? Like, what should we think of?" Tenten asked.

"Well, there's always listing random things that we like. Myself, I like _**raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens. Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens."**_ Sakura started off, hoping that the kids would jump in at any time so she wouldn't be the only one singing.

"Why would you like cats? Dogs are the best, right Akamaru!" Kiba cheered, with Akamaru barking in agreement.

"Wool itches." Shino said stoically.

"I love roses! And any other flower, so could the raindrops be on other flowers as well?" Ino asked, squealing at the mention of flowers.

"I don't like kettles. People put sand spirits inside of them, and then seal the spirits inside of children." Gaara said again, with Kankuro nodding in agreement.

"Um, it's just an example. You don't have to take it seriously; it's just to distract you from the thunder. If you want to change it, go ahead." Sakura said while sweat dropping.

"Well, what else is there, huh?" Naruto asked, impatient.

"How about, _**brown paper packages, tied up with string. These are a few of my favorite things. Cream colored pony's and crisp apple strudels,"**_

"Mmm, strudel." Choji said while rubbing his stomach.

"Why would packages tied with string be one of your favorite things?" Lee asked.

"Maybe-she g-gets p-presents f-from the packages?" Hinata asked timidly, finally coming out from hiding.

"Why would cream colored ponies make you happy? Do you have something against regular ponies?" Kankuro asked.

"Uh, again. It's just a song. Don't take it too seriously." Sakura said again.

_**"Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings, these are a few of my favorite things. Girls in white dresses, with blue satin sashes; Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes; Silver white winters that melt into spring; These are a few of my favorite things."**_

"_**When the dog bites-"**_

"Akamaru would never! Unless you're an enemy, or something, but still, Akamaru would never bite someone!" Kiba said outraged.

"Uh, yeah. You all like to take things seriously, don't you? _**When the bee stings-"**_ Sakura tried to continue.

"…my bees would also not do such a thing, unless you provoked them." Shino said.

"Oh, not you to, Shino. I thought you were too level-headed to get into this sort of thing." Sakura said while sighing and shaking her head.

"…"

"Right. Um, _**when I'm feeling sad. I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad!"**_ Sakura said while trying to save face.

"Can we try?" Tenten asked.

"Of course, go ahead!" Sakura said while smiling. On the inside, though, she was wondering why they waited until she was done singing to start on their favorite things.

"Okay, I'll go first! My favorite things are weapons and my family!" Tenten said while cheering.

"That's great, but since I can tell that practically everyone is going to say their family as well, how about we skip that part?" Sakura said, cutting off what was probably going to be a replay of how they all loved each other, or something.

"Fine. Then telegrams, and ferrets, and cards." Temari said while finally coming back into the room.

"Okay, who's next?" Sakura said, diverting everyone's attention from the fact that Temari suddenly appeared. Temari looked at her gratefully for a second, before regaining her composure and walking over to where her brothers were and sitting next to them.

"I guess I will, to get it out of the way. Troublesome. I like shougi." Shikamaru said, lying down on the bed.

"Oh, oh, I'm next! I like potato chips, and training with Shikamaru!" Choji chimed in next to Shikamaru. Choji had pulled a bag of potato chips out of thin air, and was sharing them with Shikamaru.

"I like flowers!" Ino cheered.

"Dogs!" Kiba barked. Heh he.

"…Bugs." Shino said simply.

"Uh. Um. Butterflies." Hinata said shyly.

"Ramen and Father Sasuke, dattebayo!" Naruto shouted.

"Fate. Destiny." Neji said.

"Training and youth! Yosh!" Lee cheered.

"Sand." Gaara said stoically.

"Puppets!" Kankuro said happily.

"See how much fun it is?" Sakura said, also happily. She was glad that she was getting to be on better terms with the kids.

"You know what I like? Getting sleep the night before I have to leave. That's what I like." A voice came from the door, instantly stopping any fun that everyone was having.

Everyone turned directly to the door, and standing there was none other than Uchiha Sasuke, looking very irritated. The kids instantly jumped up, and formed a single file line, standing shoulder to shoulder.

"Oh, I'm sorry Captain. The kids were scared of the-" Sakura said, trying to keep the kids out of trouble.

"I don't care what the reason is, but you, and especially they, should know that bed time is to be strictly observed." Sasuke said icily to Sakura, instantly shutting up anything else that she might have said. Sasuke then turned his attention to Temari.

"Temari, I didn't see you after dinner. Where were you?"

"Wh-where was I? I was just-" Temari started, trying to not get in deeper trouble.

"She was with me. We were getting to know each other better, and she was telling me about her ferret, Kamatari." Sakura said, remembering that Temari had mentioned her ferret and her ferret's name before.

Temari shot her another grateful look, before regaining her composure again. The rest of the kids kept silent, trying not to draw attention to themselves.

Sasuke looked from Sakura to Temari to the rest of his kids, before motioning for them to get back to bed. The kids hurried out of the room before he could punish them.

Sasuke turned back to Sakura, and fix his gaze at her. "Next time you feel the need to disrupt my house, make sure that I am either not here, or do it silently so as not to wake anyone up. As Naruto can tell you, I am never in a good mood when I wake up, so make sure it doesn't happen again." With that, he left the room to go back to much needed sleep.

Sakura was left alone in her room, again.

_I can tell, he really doesn't seem like an early riser._

_Aw, he just has a stick up his ass. Maybe that's why his hair looks like a chicken's ass._ Inner Sakura said, trying to cheer herself up.

Sakura finally went to bed about an hour later, to the sounds of thunder echoing in the far off distance, dreaming of what was going to happen the next day. She then woke up at 3:30 the next morning, to a horrible night mare, before falling back to a dreamless sleep.

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**An: So, how did you like it? Originally, I was going to save the singing for the next chapter, but I decided against it. As a result, this chapter is now fourteen pages, four pages off what I originally said as a ten page limit, along with the words, 'never again.' But oh, well. What's done is done, and I'm happy with this chapter, so there you go. So do us both a favor, and review, please!**


	10. Let's go out for a while!

Sakura woke up the next morning, feeling much better than when she had fallen asleep

**An: Hi, sorry it's been a while. And the chapter is kind of short-ish, medium-ish, and I'm so sorry about that as well. Well, you probably don't want to read my author's notes, so I'll stop. Just one thing, though, Sasuke won't be appearing for a while, since he's supposed to be gone for a few months. Just incase anyone was wondering about that.**

**Disclaimer: Maya-chan2007 doesn't own Naruto or the Sound of Music.**

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Sakura woke up the next morning, feeling much better than when she had fallen asleep. She silently reached for her clock that was on the bedside table, and checked the time.

_7:20?_ Sakura thought to herself. She didn't get a response, because Inner Sakura was still asleep. Sakura gradually got up, and walked over to her closet. She chose a red sleeve-less shirt, green shorts, and leggings to wear underneath her shorts. After this, she brushed her hair, and went downstairs for breakfast. She didn't need help to find it this time, since she remembered where it was from the night before.

When she got to the kitchen, she saw that most of the kids were already up and eating there breakfast, surrounded by the tomato-motif of the room.

_This guy's love of tomato's is just borderline scary._

_You're tellin' me._ Inner Sakura said sleepily, having just woken up.

_You're just in time._ Sakura told her Inner Self as she got a bowl of cereal after nodding hello to the kids, who mostly grunted in return.

_In time for what?_ Inner Sakura asked, perking up. This just sounded like some kind of mischief, and we all know how much Inner Sakura likes mischief.

_You'll see. I want to wait for all of the kids to be here first._

A few minutes later, the final stragglers entered the kitchen, and everyone moved into the dinning room with their breakfast, partly because it was getting crowded, and partly to get away from all of the tomatoes. They were starting to get creepy, even to those that had lived there for years, and it didn't help that everyone was still half asleep, and Naruto had mentioned that the tomatoes might be trying to take over the world, or be doing some kind of mind control on them.

After a few minutes of eating, Sakura finally brought up her idea.

"So, does anyone have any plans for today?" Sakura asked everyone. They shook their heads, and a few people who were awake enough said no.

"Great, because I was thinking that we could go out for a little while. BUT-!!" Sakura emphasized, because the kids had perked up drastically, some looking mischievous. "-there are certain rules that you are going to follow."

At this, the troublemakers, or at least the lead troublemakers pouted a little, but still looked excited.

_Wow, it's almost as if this is the first time they've been out in months, or something._

"This is the first time we've been out in months, dattebayo! We'll do what ever you say!" Naruto shouted while pumping his fist in the air. Sakura was fast going up on his list of people he liked.

"As long as it's nothing stupid that we have to do." Neji said.

"Yeah, for all we know, you may want us to like, steal for you, or get you drugs, or something." Ino said. A few of the kids acted like this was a possibility, while the rest looked like they wished Sakura would ask them to do that for her.

"…Has this happened to you before, or what? 'Cause if not, then you all have some wild imaginations."

"Well, you never know what a governess might do." Tenten said defensively.

"Right, but I'm a medic ninja, sort of, at least I was before I became a nun, so I know better than to do drugs. Does that make you feel any better?" Sakura asked, trying to placate the teenagers.

"I-I s-suppose so." Hinata answered, slightly doubtful.

"Great! Anyways, the rules. One, you have to at least try to not cause any trouble. Hopefully, you will be to busy doing other things, like having fun, to cause trouble. And don't try to say that causing the trouble is fun, because that won't work on me." Sakura told everyone.

A few people looked sad at this, but didn't say anything, careful that she might try to take away their outing-thing if they caused any trouble.

"Great, now the second rule is that you have to do what I say. I know this sounds bossy, but think about it. If something happens, which it better not, and there comes the time for a split decision, then all you have to do is what I say, and if it doesn't work, then you can always blame me for it, since I made you do it." Sakura continued. Some of the kids looked thoughtful about this, since this was a virtual Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free card thing that she was offering.

"Third is that what we're doing is going to be a surprise. I'm sure that at first it's going to seem boring, but it's a chance to get outside and stretch your legs, and run around crazy, when I say that it's okay to do so." Sakura concluded. Everyone was looking excited at this, even Gaara and Shino, who seemed to have a twinkle in their eye, or in Shino's case, sunglasses.

Sakura looked around at all of the excited faces, feeling like she had finally gotten the chance to be accepted by them. She smiled, and got up to put her empty cereal bowl away. Before she left, however, she told the kids to get ready, and meet here in the entrance hall. Sakura barely glanced back, but when she did, she did a double take. All of the kids were suddenly gone, and the door to the hall was just closing shut.

_Wow, they must be really excited._ Sakura thought while entering the kitchen and putting her empty bowl in the sink. Sakura then began to wash it, because she's responsible like that.

_Well, yeah, like Naruto said, this is the first time they've been out in months. Remember what it felt like when we first left the convent, what, yesterday? The day before? We were excited too. It's only natural, if you've been cooped up for a long time._ Inner Sakura replied.

"Yeah, but since when have you been so philosophical?" Sakura asked herself out loud. Unfortunately, she wasn't as alone as she thought she was.

"Huh? Since when have I been philosophical? What do you mean, I've never been philosophical." Naruto asked from behind her. Sakura whipped quickly around, almost breaking the bowl.

"What? Um, Naruto, how long have you been here?" Sakura asked Naruto in turn, hoping to distract him from what he had asked. Needless to say, it would be embarrassing to have to explain to one of her charges that she has a spilt personality/Inner self.

"Only for a few seconds, I came to get you, everyone's ready!" Naruto said cheerfully.

"Oh, sorry, I was just washing up my breakfast bowl, I'll be right there. I just need to get some money first." Sakura said with a smile.

"Oh, okay." Naruto said, appeased.

_Yes, were out of the wood now!_ cheered Inner Sakura.

"By the way, why didn't you answer my question?" Naruto asked innocently.

_Crap. He remembered._ said Inner Sakura.

_No, really?_ Sakura asked sarcastically.

"Um, I wasn't talking to anybody. Just myself." Sakura said while smiling, hoping that this would make him shut up.

"So, then why were you talking to yourself?" Naruto asked, not really getting why someone would talk to themselves.

"Um…Uh…Okay, listen, I'll tell you. But you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone, because it's kind of embarrassing." Sakura asked Naruto.

_Oh, thanks, that means so much, saying that I embarrass you. You do realize that I'm you, so that means that you embarrass yourself._ Inner Sakura pointed out.

_Oh, shut up. _Sakura replied.

"Okay, sure, you can trust me!" Naruto said. He liked Sakura, so he wouldn't tell anyone, not even Father Sasuke, unless it was really bad.

"Okay. Well, I have an Inner Personality, or I guess you could call it a split personality. It's kind of annoying, cause she, or I, I guess, keeps commentating on different things, and try's to give me advice. Even though I don't need it." Sakura said pointedly to herself. Inner Sakura huffed with indignation, and went away to a corner of her mind, to sulk in peace.

"Oh. That's cool. It's like your never alone, and you always have a friend with you, or something! That's awesome!" Naruto said loudly.

"What's awesome, Naruto?" Shikamaru said while walking into the room, yawning.

"Uh-Sakura said that she'd take us out to eat ramen! Isn't that awesome? And what are you doing here, Shikamaru?" Naruto said quickly, so that not only could he get ramen, but he could also cover for Sakura.

"It's troublesome, but you and the Governess are taking forever, so everyone voted me to be the one to come and get you. Like I said, it's all really troublesome." Shikamaru said lazily, not really caring about the job that was given to him.

"Well, then I guess that we should go then. Let me get my money and purse, and then we can go. In the meantime, go ask everyone where they want to go to today." Sakura told Shikamaru and Naruto while putting the bowl down in the sink, and exiting the room. She hurried up to her room, grabbed what she needed, and left.

She was on her way down the hall, when she ran into Zaku. Though not literally.

"Hey, the brats are saying that you said that they could go out. Is that true?" Zaku asked Sakura, stopping her before she could leave.

"Yes, why, am I not supposed to?" Sakura asked, mentally preparing herself for telling the kids that they couldn't go after all if the answer was yes.

"No, you can, you just have to take them to these places." Zaku said while handing her a list of places they could go. "The kids aren't allowed anywhere else, so these are the only safe places to go."

"Oh, thanks!" Sakura said cheerfully while taking the list. She and Zaku said goodbye, and she set off down the stairs to the entrance hall.

There, waiting patiently were the kids, talking excitedly amongst themselves. As soon as they saw Sakura coming down the stairs, Naruto shot over to her and dragged her over the rest of the way, chattering excitedly about the different places that they wanted to go to. After cross-checking everywhere with the list, she said that they would go to the different places.

"Although, we do have until the rest of summer to go to everywhere. So you might want to pace yourselves, at least for a while." Sakura cautioned everyone. Nobody seemed to have heard her, though, as they were dragging her over to the front gate now, pulling in different directions to the places that they wanted to go to. The only thing that they actually heard was that Sakura was going to let them go out for the whole summer.

_Oh, man. What have I gotten myself into?_ Sakura asked her Inner self.

_What, you actually want my 'advice and commentary' now?_ Inner Sakura asked, still a little upset over what Sakura had said about her before.

_Oh, come on. You know that if our roles were reversed, you would find me annoying too._ Sakura told herself.

_Yeah, well. I forgive you. As for what you've gotten yourself into, I don't know. You'll just have to wait and find out._Inner Sakura told Outer Sakura.

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**An: Okay, so how was that? I know that it's been a while, and I don't really have any good excuses, except for laziness, and that isn't even a good one. So, I'm sorry. Anyways, if anyone has any ideas for where they should go to, and possibly who suggests the idea, like Shino wants to go to the record store, or Lee wants to go to the motor derby, then please suggest it! In the movie, they were all buddy-buddy right after they sang during the thunderstorm, but that doesn't seem very plausible or likely with these ninja, so it's going to be a while before they trust and like each other completely. So that means that they will be going out for a while, so lots of suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, and cookies for those that review as well! By the way, Itachi and Kisame will be paying a visit not next chapter, but probably the chapter or two after that. So please stay tuned! Okay, I'll shut up now. Please review!**


	11. What happenedpt1

**Okay, only one suggestion to where they should go? That's sad. I had to stop this chapter short, but I'll be updating with what happened soon-ish, but still. After I update the next chapter, I want at least three suggestions to where they should go. Just three and it can be anywhere. As long as it's slightly appropriate, like not at a strip club, or anything. A bar, though, might work. Like if it's a Karaoke Bar. Anyways, please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Let's see, do I want to own Naruto, thus owning millions, which I would then have to spend on Ramen Bills, therapy, counseling, collateral damage caused by fight-happy A.D.D. people, or do I want to live my life happy and stress free, while imagining what I could possibly do to the characters, and not get punished for it? Hm, you do the math! ;D**

**Key-thing-no-jutsu! **

_This means_ **Sakura's thoughts.**

_This means_ **Inner Sakura.**

This means **everything else.**

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Sakura walked into her room at around seven at night, feeling more tired than she ever had in her life. She had just spent the entire day with the kids, going to different places such as the record store, the derby, the videogame store, and Sea World. Why Konoha had a Sea World when they were land-locked, Sakura didn't know, and Inner Sakura wasn't telling. Apparently she was behind the initial idea for there to be a Sea World in Konoha, but the authoress digresses.

_Where did they get all of their energy, they didn't even have any caffeine! _Sakura asked her Inner Self.

_That we know about, that is._ Inner Sakura replied, feeling just as tired as her Outer Self was.

Sakura was resting on her bed, contemplating whether or not she should just go ahead and go to bed with or with out the help of certain drugs, when a knock on the door sounded out in the silent room.

_Who could it be now, one of the kids with another 'fun idea'?!_ Sakura asked herself desperately. Despite what she was telling herself, Sakura slowly picked herself off of her comfortable bed and she made herself walk over to the door and open it.

On the other side was Kin, wearing her 'maid outfit', and carrying a tray of herbal/green tea.

"I heard you all come in, and thought you might need this." Kin said while smiling slightly, as if enjoying some inside joke.

"Thank you." Sakura said, putting as much of her feelings in those two words as she could. Kin just looked at her, and started laughing to herself.

"You really need this, don't you?" Kin asked while walking in and sitting on Sakura's bed while pouring a cup of tea for both women.

"You have no idea." Sakura replied while sitting across from Kin and accepting the cup that was given to her.

"Actually, I do. Zaku told me that you were taking the brats out, though I didn't believe it at first. The day after I tell you about what happened with the other governess, and you go ahead and take them out? Surely you couldn't be that stupid." Kin said while taking a sip from her cup.

"Eh heh?" Sakura said lamely while shrugging.

"So, where did you go, what laws/persons/objects did they break, who tried to sue you, and who is going to get grounded?" Kin asked brusquely, getting to the point.

"Well, we went to a record store, a derby, as in a race horse derby, the videogame store, and then finally to Sea World. We also ate lunch at this ramen place that Naruto dragged us to when he got hungry, called Ichiraku's, and as far as I know, they didn't break anything, and I made sure that everyone was where they were supposed to be. A business man tried to sue Naruto when he accidentally spilled some of his ramen broth on him, but decided not to when he saw that nobody was paying attention to him, since Naruto was crying over his spilled ramen (**an: like the proverb, no use crying over spilled milk. I'll shut up now.**), and everyone else was trying to either eat their lunch while ignoring Naruto, pretend that they didn't know him, or trying to comfort him over his loss. Actually, that was Hinata and Lee." Sakura mused over her cup of herbal tea.

"Okay, that does sound like something that would happen. So, is he grounded then?" Kin asked, interested as this was the only exciting thing that happened to her today.

"No, actually he got the guy to pay for a new bowel of ramen, so he's not really in trouble. I didn't even know the guy was going to sue him until after."

"Okay, I'm curious now. Plus, Zaku and Dosu are going to want to know what happened, so tell me everything!" Kin told her, getting ready to listen to gossip.

"Okay, so first, we left-" Sakura started.

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_Flashback-mode-no-jutsu!_

Sakura and cohorts left the mansion at around nine-ish in the morning, with Sakura being pulled by her cohorts towards the bus stop where they would then go into town.

"Yay! This is going to be so much fun; first we should go to Ichiraku's, then somewhere else, then back to Ichiraku's for a little pick-me up, you know, so we can get more energy? Then, then-! We should go somewhere else, and before we go back home, we need to stop at Ichiraku's again!" Naruto shouted while pulling Sakura down the lane towards the bus stop.

"Idiot. Then we might as well just stay at Ichiraku's." Shikamaru said from behind, where he was walking at a leisurely pace with Choji, who was eating his potato chips, and Ino, who was complaining about how they 'always went to Ichiraku's'.

"Really?! We can just stay there?! Oh, hell yeah!" Naruto shouted while cheering again. But suddenly, Sakura hit him over the head, hard, so that he went into the ground.

"Don't use such language!" Sakura scolded. The kids, except for Hinata, who was trying to pull Naruto out of the ground, looked at Sakura weird, some with looks of somewhat respect, and others in strait fear.

"What?" Sakura asked innocently.

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_Back in the real world. Man, it's hard to do the x thing._

"Wait, so let me get this strait. There's now a Naruto-shaped hole in the lane, because you punched him?" Kin asked while pouring herself more tea.

"Yeah, I'm really strong. The Reverend Mother, before we entered the convent, taught me the ninja arts, so technically, I'm not only a nun-in-training, but I'm also a ninja. A medic, to be precise." Sakura said while gently sipping her burning tea.

"Okay. That's going to come in handy with the kids; Sasuke chose well, when he chose you to be their governess."

"Th-thank you." Sakura said, blushing some at the compliment.

"Those little brats are going to need someone who not only will actually pound some sense in them, but will also heal them up later. It's perfect!" Kin said cheerfully. Sakura sweat-dropped at this a little.

"So, why didn't you take the car?" Kin asked.

"Well, we tried, but then we realized that Naruto had sabotaged it, thinking that it was one of the cars that the Captain would take. Long story short, the Captain will need to collect on the insurance soon." Sakura said, shuddering at the memory of the car exploding.

"_Sigh_, I always knew one of them would blow something up. It was only a matter of time." Kin mused while sipping her tea. Sakura just sweat-dropped at that.

"I guess I owe Dosu 5,000 yen, now. He's the one who betted that it would be Naruto who blew something up. I thought that it would be Kiba or Lee, and Zaku thought that Hinata might have finally snapped and blown something up." Kin said while looking in the distance.

"…Nice." Sakura said while shaking her head slightly.

"So, what happened next?" Kin asked, pouring both herself and Sakura more tea.

"Well…" Sakura led off.

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Okay, so some of the kids were scared to come near Sakura for a while, but they mellowed out when they got to the bus stop.

_I wonder if that one bus driver will be driving us again._ Sakura thought to herself.

_Maybe. Dunno. Though I kind of hope not, since there will be children on board._ Inner Sakura answered.

_Yeah, but these kids probably wouldn't mind. In fact, I get the feeling that they would rather he drive like a maniac._

_Yeah, but we don't need them getting weird ideas._

_That's true,_ Sakura agreed.

When Sakura had broken out of her conversation with herself, she noticed that the bus was there, and some of the kids had already boarded.

Sakura hurried on board, and noticed that the only seat that wasn't full was one of the one's up front on the bus, next to Hinata.

_Hope she doesn't still hold a grudge._ Sakura thought.

"Um, Hinata-chan? Can I sit next to you, since everywhere else is full?" Sakura asked the silent, shy girl sweetly.

"A-ano, s-sure, Miss Sakura," Hinata answered sweetly, clearly the type that doesn't hold grudges.

"Thanks!" Sakura said while sitting down, and noticing the driver.

_Oh, great. We didn't want the crazy maniac, and we end up with little elderly lady over here._ Inner Sakura said, pouting over the fact that their driver was an elderly lady, who looked suspiciously like the elderly lady that Suigetsu had almost hit when Sakura first met him.

_Now, now. I'm sure it will be okay._ Sakura said soothingly to her Inner Self.

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**An: I'm going to stop around there. It's taking to long to write this, but don't worry. Next chapter will be what happened to them, featuring a record store, a race derby, a videogame store, and Sea World. Oh, and Ichiraku's, as well. I just really need to get this story up, and it's taking a lot longer than it should to type this. Oh, well. I know it's slightly short-ish, but still, please review!**


	12. What happenedpt2

**Yay, chapter twelve! It's already this far, huh? Sorry for the wait- I wish I had a better excuse, other than laziness, distractions, and laziness. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not really one of those authors/authoresses that purposely does whatever they can to update. Too much effort. But I do care, really. That's why I've finally update this chapter, even though it only took one day to write it, if you take out some of the chapter, which I wrote at school. Anyways, please enjoy, and please review!**

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"So, where are we going first?" Sakura asked the kids. They were all on the bus, being driven by an old lady, on their way into town. Choji was eating; Shikamaru had challenged Temari to shougi and appeared to be winning; Kankuro was betting Kiba that Temari would throw a 'hissy fit' when she lost; Kiba was chatting with both Kankuro and Ino, who was trying to get Choji to stop eating and save his appetite for later; Tenten was flipping a kunai in the air while talking to Neji and Lee; Naruto had challenged Lee and Gaara to see who could hold their breath the longest, though Gaara didn't seem to be participating; Shino was sitting quietly, because that was the rule on public transportation systems; and Hinata was looking out the window, though Sakura noticed that she kept sneaking looks over to Naruto , who was still holding his breath—and had been, along with Lee, for going on ten minutes already.

"Um, guys?" Sakura asked while sweat-dropping.

"A-ano, um, i-if it's okay, c-could we please g-go to S-Sea World?" Hinata asked shyly. "They-they have a new b-baby seal!" Hinata finished excitedly.

"Sure, we can go." Sakura replied, smiling at Hinata.

"…Can we also go to the record store later? My bugs are quite partial to Mozart." Shino asked, having moved up a seat. Apparently, there was a free one that Sakura had not seen earlier, and Shino had very good hearing to have heard the conversation through the noise the others were making.

"S-sure, Shino, we can do that." Sakura said, sweat-dropping a little. _Who knew he liked records, and his bugs liked Mozart?_ Sakura thought.

"Then after, may we go to the video-game store? It's been a while, and Naruto, Lee and I have wanted to play the new Tomb Raider game." Gaara said, moving up to sit next to Shino.

"Sure, but that game has been out for a long time. It's not new," Sakura told the quiet, seemingly pupil-less teenager.

Gaara, in response, stared at her before saying, "I said, it's been a while since we've been."

"Right," Sakura said while sweat dropping again. _Looks like the quiet ones are the ones to decide where we're going today._ Sakura thought to herself.

_Yeah, and at least it's not to any place __**too**__ bad._ Inner Sakura replied.

After a while, as in an hour, (the old lady wouldn't drive over 25 miles an hour, or kilometers an hour, whichever works for you and is slower; People were pulling over to the side, thinking that the bus was part of a funeral procession, or something), the bus reached a shopping pavilion where they got off.

"Finally! Now I don't have to sit around and have to be 'still', and 'quiet'!" Naruto shouted when he got off.

"And we don't have to hear your annoying voice say, 'Are we there yet?' over and over." Kiba said bitterly as he got off as well.

"So, where are we going first?" Tenten asked when everyone had gotten off.

"To the mall!" Ino shouted, getting cheers from Naruto, Lee, Kankuro, Tenten, and Kiba. Neji, Temari, Shikamaru and Choji looked like they were indifferent, but Gaara, Shino, and Hinata looked disappointed, as if this happened regularly. Everyone was about to head to the mall, when Sakura stepped in front of them, stopping them.

"Wait a minute everybody. We're not going to the mall unless we have to. Instead, we are going to Sea World, the record store, and to the video game store. After that, if we have time, we'll go somewhere else, but for now, that's where we're going. Okay?" Sakura said, smiling. Hinata, Shino and Gaara looked happy; hopeful, even. However, everyone else looked upset.

"Oh, so because you're our new governess, you're saying we can't go to where we want to go?" Kiba asked, outraged.

"Do you even bother to listen to what we want, and where we want to go? Then what's the point of us even coming?" Temari demanded.

"And why go to those stupid places? I mean, a video game store, maybe. If we were nerds and geeks! But a record store and _Sea World?_ Come on, were not _babies!_" Ino protested. Shino, Hinata and Gaara started looking at the ground, embarrassed and upset that they probably wouldn't be able to go.

"Hm? You really feel that way?" Sakura asked, though also noticing that Hinata, Gaara, and Shino looked like the final nail had been put in the coffin of their trip.

"Heck, yeah!" Naruto shouted, pumping his hand into the air. Hinata and Gaara looked upset that their friend felt that way about their ideas.

"Okay, then. Luckily, I have a friend that lives around here, and she'll watch you all while Gaara, Hinata, Shino and I go to Sea World. After that, we're going to the record store and video game store, so we may be a few hours. But don't worry, you'll have fun at my friend's house—I think." Sakura said while gesturing for everyone to follow her to where her friend lived. Gaara, Hinata and Shino looked elated that they were going to get to go to the places they wanted to after all. Everyone else looked confused, and for some, angry.

"Why are they going, but we're going to stay with your friend?" Choji asked innocently. He didn't really care either way, though if he had to go to Sakura's friend's house, he hoped that she would have food.

"Because, Choji, on the bus I asked everyone where they wanted to go today. They were the only ones that answered, so I promised them that we would go. Or would you all rather I break promises for my own gain, such as getting a bigger majority of you to like me, and instead crush your siblings' hopes and dreams?" Sakura asked while pulling Gaara, Shino and Hinata toward her into a hug, and giving the rest puppy-dog eyes. Very effective, puppy-dog eyes. The three that she had in a hug saw what she was doing and used puppy-dog eyes themselves. While you couldn't see Shino's puppy-dog eyes or the rest of his face for that matter, and Gaara using puppy-dog eyes was slightly creepy, Hinata's puppy-dog eyes were irresistible, and the kids finally caved in.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry! Just-please stop looking at us like that, Hinata-chan!" Naruto cried out, acting like he was being burned by the pure glow that emitted from Hinata. Neji then hit him over the head, muttering something about, "Stop acting like that with my sister."

"So, is everyone ready and willing to go to Sea World?" Sakura asked, releasing the three silent kids from her hug. The kids mumbled something that resembled a 'yeah, sure', until Naruto and Lee started to get excited about visiting Sea World. After that, everyone go noisy again, and started walking towards the general direction of Sea World.

Sakura followed along behind, to keep a better watch on the kids, when she noticed something tugging on her shirt sleeve. Looking down, Sakura saw Hinata, looking up at her shyly.

"Ano, thanks for letting us go to Sea World," Hinata said semi-quietly, looking down after saying so.

"Your welcome! I've been in a convent, or traveling with my master for most of my life, so I've never been, either. Have you?" Sakura asked cheerfully, glad that she had gotten on the good side of Hinata; cause let's face it, Hinata's adorable. Sakura also noticed that Hinata hadn't stuttered when talking with her but she didn't mention it, in case she made Hinata shyer.

"Once, but it was years ago. Sh-shortly after Neji-nii-san and I were adopted." Hinata answered softly.

"Well, then this is like a first time for you again! Now let's go see that baby seal!" Sakura shouted the last part for everyone to hear.

"What? There's a baby seal at Sea World now? Why didn't you say so?" Ino shouted, pulling Shikamaru and Choji along with her as she ran towards the entrance to Sea World. Tenten also looked excited, though she didn't shout like Ino had; instead, she also pulled Neji along, though not Lee, since he thought that everyone was racing, and it would be un-youthful to not win. Naruto joined him in the race, since he didn't want to be last either. Because of this, remarkably, they made good time getting there.

When everyone had reached the entrance, Sakura paid for everyone's tickets to get inside and ushered everyone in. They walked through the hallway, and when they reached the end, there was an opening to an arena that was filled with water. There were dolphins, seals, and whales doing tricks in the water, and everyone hurried to find a seat so that they could watch the rest of the performances.

When that was done, Sakura led everyone to where they could see the baby animals and the rest of the marine life that wasn't out performing. When Hinata saw the baby seal, she squealed and ran over to the glass separating them. Everyone walked over at their own pace, and admired the baby seal as well.

Sakura stood over to the side, watching the kids that she was now in charge of. When she saw the look of happiness on Hinata's face, Sakura backed out of the room without anyone noticing and headed to a particular room in the building. Eventually, someone noticed that Sakura wasn't with them any longer, and as they were starting to think that she might have abandoned them there, like how Governess #9 did at Wal-mart, Sakura came back, carrying a small brown bad with her.

"Huh? Sakura-chan, where did you go?" Naruto asked, rocking back and forth on his feet as he stood near Sakura.

…_chan?_ Sakura thought while lifting an eyebrow at Naruto.

_Well, isn't he getting familiar._ Inner Sakura commented.

_Eh, I don't really care. At least he's not insulting me, or something._ Sakura thought back.

"I just had to stop by somewhere and get something," Sakura said while gesturing to the brown paper bag that she had in hand. "So, are we done here?"

"Yeah! Let's go somewhere else now!" Ino shouted. Several people looked over at here, some with looks of contempt and superiority. When Sakura saw this, she glared back at them.

_Only we can do stuff like that with our kids! Well, except for themselves to each other._Inner Sakura thought furiously.

_Damn straight._ Sakura answered back, motioning for the kids to follow her.

When they reached outside, the kids started babbling amongst themselves again. Hinata walked next to Sakura again, and looked like she wanted to ask Sakura something, but wasn't sure if she should. So instead, Sakura gave her the brown paper bag.

"Here, Hinata-chan. Can I call you Hinata-chan?" Sakura asked.

"S-sure, but-what is this?" Hinata asked warily, remembering when Governess #6 gave her a 'present'.

"Well, I saw you looking at the baby seal, and I remembered that you liked animal plushies, so I went to the gift shop and bought you this," Sakura said as Hinata pulled out a baby seal plushie.

Hinata gasped when she saw it, and quickly hugged it tightly to herself. "T-thank you, arigatou!"

"No problem!" Sakura said while smiling.

"Hey, hey! Where are we going next, the record store or the video game store?" Kiba asked, calling behind him to where Sakura was.

"Record store!" Sakura called back. At that, Shino led the way to where the record store was.

After walking down a few streets, Shino finally stopped in front of an old-looking store front, and went inside. Everyone followed in behind, filling up the tiny store. As Shino started looking through the stacks of records for Mozart, everyone else started wandering aimlessly around the store, after being warned by Sakura not to try anything, or they wouldn't get any ramen for lunch. That sufficiently motivated Naruto, who spent the rest of the time making sure that the others didn't do anything.

Sakura sighed when she saw this and rubbed her forehead, warding off a headache.

"Wow, second day with them, and you're already taking them out on the town? That's bold of you." A voice behind the counter, where Sakura was standing, said. A familiar voice…

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**Okay, that's about where I'm going to stop. I wasn't originally, I wanted to put in the rest of the day, but this seemed like a good place to stop. Cookies to whoever guesses who the familiar voice is, though it's probably not that hard. Anyways, please review!**


	13. What happenedpt 3

**Yeah. I know. You hate me. I haven't updated in, like, forever, so I understand. Really, I have no excuse for not updating at least earlier this week, since I've been off, thanks to a snow storm that hit where I live. I'm a bad person. Oh, well, at least I'm updating now.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

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_Sakura sighed when she saw this and rubbed her forehead, warding off a headache._

"_Wow, second day with them, and you're already taking them out on the town? That's bold of you." A voice behind the counter, where Sakura was standing, said. A familiar voice…_

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"Suigetsu, what are you doing here? Don't you work with the bus line?" Sakura asked, surprised to see him at the record store.

"Yeah, I was, but the old lady that I almost hit reported me, so I got fired and she got the job. Stupid old busybody. But back to you. Why do you have them out with you? To do some errands, or something?" Suigetsu asked back, leaning on the counter and watching the teenagers with glee.

"Uh, sort of. I promised them that I would take them out into town, so I am. Already we've been to Sea World, and we're stopping her before we head over to the videogame store. After that, who knows where they'll take me." Sakura said, leaning in a little so that she could chat with Suigetsu without being overheard by some of the kids who seemed to be watching her curiously.

"Where they take you? Aren't you their nanny? Shouldn't you be telling them what to do?" Suigetsu asked, looking confused.

"No, I'm their governess. Basically their baby-sitter, or something, though they won't admit it. I just have to watch after them and make sure that they don't kill themselves or each other. Oh, and help them with homework if they need any."

"Hm, already you have a different attitude than some of the other governesses."

"What do you mean? You've met some of them, Suigetsu?" Sakura asked, taken aback by the news.

"Yeah, how else do you think I was able to tell you about the job, some? I only met them as they were entering and leaving the place, though, since I still had my bus-driving job then," Suigetsu added bitterly, obviously still upset about losing his job.

"Okay. But, do you mind if I ask something slightly personal?" Sakura asked, quickly skimming her eyes over the kids to make sure they were behaving. Since Naruto obviously wanted ramen, he was making sure that they others behaved, and was getting on their nerves as well.

"Sure. If it's too personal, or something, I can always ignore you, or change the subject. What do you want to know?" Suigetsu asked happily.

"How did you get this job so suddenly, if you only got fired yesterday?" Sakura asked, laughing a little at Suigetsu's cheerfulness.

"Oh, that's 'cause a buddy of mine owns this place, and when I told him that I lost my job because of an old lady, after looking at me like I was crazy, he offered me a job here. The pay's not so bad, AND I get benefits and vacation time!" Suigetsu said, bragging.

Sakura laughed again, but stopped soon when she noticed the kids staring at her.

"Um, Sakura-san? We have what we wanted to get. Can we pay now?" Tenten asked, looking at Sakura strangely, though also exchanging looks with some of the other kids.

"Ah, sorry! I'll move out of the way now." Sakura said, blushing slightly at the fact that she was blocking the cash register from the customers, A.K.A., the kids she was supposed to be watching.

After Shino, and a few others who found things that they liked, paid for their things, Sakura led the way out of the shop and back onto the street. What she didn't know, however, is that she was being talked about by her charges.

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With the kids…

"Okay, WHAT was that just now? Was she _flirting_ with that guy?" Ino screeched, though in a low voice so that she wouldn't be overheard by Sakura, who was being distracted by Hinata and Choji.

"I—think she was. She _was_ laughing at practically everything he was saying." Tenten answered.

"Guys, who cares if she was or not? It's not any of our business. Troublesome, if you ask me." Shikamaru said, leaning his head back to look at the clouds.

"You always think everything is troublesome, that's why we don't ask you." Temari replied, smacking him lightly on the head.

"Well, it is. Troublesome, that is," Shikamaru muttered under his breath.

"Hello! We're missing the point here! If she's flirting with some random guy in a shop, then maybe that means she isn't into our father! That, or she could be a slut." Ino put in thoughtfully.

"But it looked like they knew each other, so it can't be that she just randomly flirts with anyone." Gaara added, defending Sakura since she's letting them go to the videogame store. When the others heard this, they gazed at Sakura thoughtfully.

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Sakura shivered slightly, and gripped Hinata's hand, which she was holding, a little tighter.

"I don't know why, but I suddenly got a cold chill. What about you, Hinata-chan?" Sakura asked, looking over at the younger woman.

"N-no, I'm a-alright." Hinata mumbled softly, but still loud enough for Sakura to hear her.

_Guys don't be so obvious when you're talking about someone!_ Hinata thought to herself.

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"Well, at any rate, I don't think Sakura-chan actually likes the guy at the record store. They're probably just friends, or something. In my opinion, she would be better with Father Sasuke." Naruto chimed, his eyes closed with his hands behind his head.

His siblings suddenly came to a stop, and Naruto almost ran into Kankuro.

"Whoa, what-?" Naruto started to say before he saw the looks the others were giving him.

"…What do you mean, 'she would be better with Father Sasuke'?" Ino asked, with a look on her face that looked like it questioned his intelligence. Well, more-so than usual.

"Yeah, I thought you of all people were against father hooking up with anyone else?" Kankuro added.

"Are you sure that you're getting enough shade? Not too much sun?" Kiba joked, messing up Naruto's head as he rubbed it.

"Guy's, I AM serious! You know what Mom always used to say about me, with my gift of foreshadowing! Like how I knew that Father Sasuke would turn emo! This is another feeling that I'm getting!" Naruto said, jumping up and down while waving his arms around to get his point across.

"Yeah, sure kid." Neji said, continuing walking onward as Sakura, Hinata and Choji looked back to see if anything was wrong. The rest followed behind, some giving Naruto weird looks, others muttering under their breath, and Naruto pouting.

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**(An: I'm skipping the videogame store, nothing happened there except Lee and Naruto almost getting kicked out because they were acting out a fight scene from one of their favorite games. You can imagine that for yourself. :3** **And now, the ramen shop!)**

"Yay! RamenramenramenramenramenramenRAMEN!!!!!!" Naruto shouted as the group approached the Ichiraku Ramen stand.

"Hey, Naruto! Long time no see! How long has it been since you've been in my shop?" asked what looked like the owner and cook of the shop.

"Hey, Teuchi! It's been three months, two weeks, three days, 14 hours, 57 minutes, and 23 seconds!" Naruto said as he sat down on one of the shops' counter stools. The rest of the kids sat down at random seats around the shop, though Lee and Hinata seemed to purposely sit on either side of Naruto. He didn't seem to notice, however, as he was already checking the menu. "Hey, you got some new items on the menu since I've been here!"

"Yeah, I've been meaning to let you try them, but you weren't here." Teuchi said conversationally as he and his daughter, Ayame, according to her nametag, made the ramen.

Eventually, the ramen was ready, and as everyone was eating theirs, a few business men came in. They also sat next to the counter, and at first there wasn't any trouble, but then when one of the business men reached for his now-ready ramen, Naruto also chose that particular moment to get a re-fill on his ramen. When the business man and Naruto reached in the same general direction at the same time, their bowels knocked into each other, causing the ramen to spill not only on the floor, but also a bit on the businessman's suit.

"What the hell did you just do, brat? You got some of your ramen on my _very _expensive suit! Do you know how much this costs?!? Rest assured, you'll pay for this, literally, of course-!" The business man shouted at Naruto who was on the floor. The other businessmen that were there were looking at Naruto with contempt, while Lee and Hinata were looking at Naruto with concern, the rest of their siblings were looking away as if they didn't know him, which Sakura, who was busy looking around for napkins or something to clean up the ramen with, thought was very callous and mean of them, that is, until Naruto started screaming.

"NOOOOO! MY RAMEN! WHY?!? IT HAD SUCH A SHORT LIFE!" Naruto cried, literally crying, as he stared at his poor ramen that was puddle up on the floor.

"I-its okay, Naruto-kun. Th-the ramen had a—happy life." Hinata said, trying to comfort Naruto.

"That is correct, Naruto-kun! Why, just think—the ramen is bound to be happy, knowing that you cared for it so much." Lee put in.

…_The hell?_ Sakura thought to herself.

_Guess he really likes his ramen._ Inner Sakura replied, shaking her head.

The businessman looked around and saw that nobody was paying attention to him or his tantrum, so he ended up muttering something, then throwing some money on the counter, and left with his fellow businessmen.

After the business man left, everyone went back to eating their ramen in peace, though Naruto still sniffled some.

When it came time to pay for the ramen, Teuchi offered to let Sakura pay it off in payments, if she wanted to—the kids (*cough*Naruto*cough*) could really eat their weight in ramen.

"Really, ma'am, this is an awful lot to have to pay—that's why their father rarely takes them out for ramen. You don't have to bankrupt yourself over this." Teuchi pleaded with her.

"No, no! It's okay; I have someone who will pay for it!" Sakura said, thinking quickly.

_You're not thinking of having Kakuzu pick up the tab, are you?_ Inner Sakura asked, remembering one of the head monks in the monastery that was on the other side of the wall dividing the convent and monastery. Apparently, his "partner", or at least that's what they called each other over their, along with some other monks, was the head of the Jashinist faction there.

_Why not? Lady Tsunade would be happy—they might even bankrupt._

_You do realize that you're talking about bankrupting monks, right?_

_Well, there's something not right about them-and I'm still learning how to be a nun!_

_Right, even though you've been in a convent for pretty much all of your life?_

_Sh-shut up!_

"Um, miss?" Teuchi asked, trying to get Sakura's attention.

"Oh, right, sorry. Here's the credit number to charge to-" Sakura said, handing Teuchi a piece of paper with the number of a credit card on it.

_And how do you know this number again?_

_Well, remember when Shizune made us do the bookkeeping for the entire building, convent and monastery both?_

_Oh, yeah. How could they NOT see us using that? Don't they know us?_

_Guess not._

After giving Teuchi more information that he would need, Sakura turned back to the kids, who had been talking amongst themselves.

"So, we have enough time to go to ONE more place. Where should we go?" Sakura asked. Lee raised his hand first, so it was where he wanted to go that they went to. If that made any sense.

"You want to go to the race derby?" Sakura asked.

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**Okay, so that's this chapter. Sorry to leave off AGAIN before their day was done, but it should be done next chapter. But don't hold me to it. Or, better yet, do, so that way I can make sure that it will be. Well, if you're all not too mad at me for not updating in forever, please review!**


	14. What happenedthe end

**Meh. Here's the next chapter, and sorry for taking so long. I know it's late, but Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays!**

**Disclaimer: Maya-chan2007 does not own Naruto, nor does she own the franchise known as Sea World. She also doesn't own any ramen stands, nor does she own any race horse derbies. That's about it, I think.**

This means** regular whatever's going on and dialogue.**

_This means_ **thoughts, emphasis, spray paint, and Sakura's thoughts.**

_This means_** Inner Sakura.**

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After the ramen shop, Sakura took the kids, as per Lee's request, to the race horse derby. When they entered, Hinata, Shino, and Kiba's eyes went wide in shock at what people were making the horses do, such as run around a race track for profit.

For the entire time that they were there, the three of them were huddled next to each other, muttering under their breath. Frankly, it was starting to scare people, particularly some of the other patrons who were seated around them.

Near the end of the derby, with Tenten for some inexplicable reason 5,000 yen richer, Sakura leaned over to tell Hinata, Shino and Kiba that they would be leaving soon. When she did, Sakura overheard one of them, who sounded just like Hinata, say, "So when we leave here, we call PETA to set up a sting operation to get these S.O.B.'s, right?"

As soon as Sakura heard this, she quickly gathered up the teenagers, Tenten saying, "Yes, jackpot!", and shooed everyone out.

When they were out, some of the kids turned around to protest, but the look that Sakura gave them clearly said Ask me at your own risk. When they saw that, they shrugged and continued onward.

When they got to the bus stop that would take them home, they stopped short upon sight of the bus. Written in spray paint on the side was, _Stupid Old Lady! Hag! Job Stealer!_

"Why would someone have something against an old lady?" Ino asked, confused. That seemed to be the general consensus for everyone, except for Sakura, who was laughing silently, but still hard, over what was written.

"Don't know. Something about a job stealer?" Kiba answered.

"How pathetic do you have to be to get your job stolen by some old lady?" Naruto asked. That just made Sakura laugh harder, and this time the adopted teenagers noticed, asking her what was wrong with their expressions. Sakura just motioned with her hands to get onto the bus.

Apparently, the old lady who was driving the bus didn't know that someone had vandalized the side of it. Instead, she greeted them when they got on as if nothing had happened.

Since it was approaching night time, the old lady drove even slower than she did before. Sakura started banging her head on the seat in front of her, and only stopped when Hinata, Naruto, Gaara and Lee pulled her back and made her stop.

To pass the time, and to keep Sakura busy so she wouldn't try to hurt herself again, everyone started talking about their day, and what everyone's favorite part of the day was.

Gaara's, Shino's, Hinata's, and Lee's favorite parts were when they were able to go to the places the wanted to go to. Tenten's was the derby, for various reasons. Since his two closest friends, one being his girlfriend, liked the derby best, Neji decided that it was his fate to like it best as well. Ino's favorite place was Sea World, and since that was where his girlfriend and best girl friend liked best, Kiba had to agree that that was where he liked best. Shikamaru thought it was all troublesome, and Choji's was the same as Naruto's-the ramen stand. Kankuro's favorite was the video game store, especially when Lee and Naruto got kicked out. Temari's favorite was the record store, though it might have been because she found an old classics c.d. there.

By the time they got home, it was a quarter 'till midnight. Everyone shuffled their way to their respective rooms, even Naruto to tired to say more than 'dattebayo' to everyone as a good night.

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"-And that's what happened today. I'm actually surprised that you were still up, considering how late it is," Sakura said, finishing her story of what had happened, along with her tea.

"Eh, I have no life. I was up already, throwing needles into one of my voodoo dolls of people I don't like," Kin explained. Sakura giggled.

"Well, I don't want to keep you up from your fun, and I'm about to fall asleep sitting up," Sakura said, interrupting herself with a yawn, "-so why don't we call it a night?"

"Sounds good to me," Kin said, getting up and gathering up their tea supplies. "By the way, breakfast is going to be at eight-thirty tomorrow, since we're probably going to sleep in." Kin called over her shoulder as she closed the door behind her.

_Sounds good to me…_ Sakura thought to herself as she snuggled into her rather large bed.

_Me too…_ Inner Sakura replied. Outer Sakura didn't hear, however, because she was already asleep.

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**So, that was this chapter. And I hate to say it people, but yes, this was a filler chapter. Sorry. But, hey, look on the bright side, at least this little story-thing within the bigger story-thing is complete! Yay! And now, a little teaser to help you look forward to the next chapter-Itachi and Kisame may make an appearance! So, please look forward to that, and please review! **


	15. RandomnessItachi&Kisame appear

**Me:…Hidan, you curse things, right?**

**Hidan: Yeah, it's how I fight people and introduce them to Jashin-sama. Why?**

**Me: Can you curse natural things? Like snow/ice storms?**

**Hidan: No. Seriously.**

**Me: You're useless.**

**If you're wondering why I want to curse a snow/ice storm, it's because one hit where I live, knocking out the power for almost a week, I had to through out some of my most favorite foods, a lot of trees died, and some other bad stuff happened. Like me not being able to update 'till now. Damn snow/ice storm. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Not in the mood for a snappy disclaimer. Sorry.**

**Dedication: To all of the beautiful trees that lost their lives and to the power workers for getting my power back on. And to me finding out how to use the little horizontal line below. Yay! ^_^**

* * *

The days that followed were busy, filled with outings, the kids' training, and Sakura helping with their summer homework, though Shikamaru had to help on some of the older teenager's math and physics problems.

At one point, Sakura even took the kids to a museum, though she made sure to duck tape Naruto, Kiba, and Lee's mouths shut. The security guards at the museum at one point came over to talk to Sakura about child abuse and how she shouldn't do such things to children, but when they saw that the children in question were _the_ Uchiha children, they made her duck tape Naruto's hands and arms to his sides.

The rest of the trip at the museum was pretty uneventful, though Neji had to practically carry Tenten out of the weapons room over his shoulder. Some of the exhibits were very popular among the teenagers, particularly the sand art room for Gaara; the various paintings of flowers that Ino saw-of which she was quick to point out which flowers were which, what they meant, and which artists messed up on the over all drawing of the flowers, the colors of the flowers, and getting the flowers' names wrong; the insect room, though they had to drag an infuriated Shino out, and convince him that the people working at the museum were _not_ responsible for the dead (murdered) insects hanging in the room and they were _not_ children of evil for putting up the exhibit so he wouldn't do anything drastic to the personnel; and the food art room, even though Shikamaru and Ino had to convince Choji that it wouldn't be a good idea to eat the art.

There was an incident when Kankuro said that one of the abstract painting looked like Temari, who then tried to strangle her brother while Gaara pretended not to know who they were. When Kiba laughed at what Kankuro had said, Ino go upset for her friend/sister, and then proceeded to nag/one-sided-ly argue at him while he couldn't say anything back because of the duck tape. The rest had to stop them, but during the course of that, they were all kicked out by one of the security guards that had been following them. One of these guards was Suigetsu, who it appears was fired from his job at the record store, but because he did nothing to stop them, and most likely encouraged the teenagers in their shenanigans, Suigetsu was soon looking for another job.

A few days later they all rented bicycles, mostly because of Sakura persuading them that it could be a form of training, and they started biking around town. Unfortunately, yet also coincidentally, around the same time a gang started terrorizing the place; they, too, rode bicycles, so the police were quick to say that it was the Uchiha children and their strange, pink-haired governess who were doing the crimes. At one point, though later they all agreed that it had been good training, a police cruiser had tried to run them down, but luckily they had escaped by going down a side road.

What had happened most recently is when Sakura and the teens were walking around, since after the police-almost-running-them-down incident they had taken to walking until the bicycle gang was caught.

They were walking over a walking-only bridge, and had reached the end when they saw a boat coming down the river. Now, for some reason the kids had always been fascinated by boats, and Sakura though an adult, was no exception. The kids all crowded to one side of the railing admiring the boat when Sakura suddenly called from the other side of the bridge railing, "Oh, look, there's another one!" When everyone scrambled over to the other railing to try and see the other boat clearly, Sakura skipped over to the railing they had just abandoned and said, "Ha ha, fooled ya!"

However, when she turned to look at the boat, she saw that it had disappeared to the other side and that the boat had reappeared on the side where the kids were now.

"H-hey, move over, I want to see it too!"

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A few days later, they were sitting around on a random hill in the countryside, since Konoha was filled with hills, and were having a picnic. They had various foods there, everyone's favorites like ramen and barbeque pork. It was while they were eating and talking that the fateful (**Me: Go AWAY Neji! **Neji: What? *looks innocent* **Me: You're not Hinata, it won't work for you.** Neji: So you say) topic was brought up by Sakura.

"You know, right before I took my vacation from the convent for this job, I was out singing and skipping around a hillside like this. But if I remember correctly, there was a stream around the bend over there, and our Reverend Mother was relaxing here, too. Though I think she was boozing, and hiding from Sister Shizune." Sakura said thoughtfully, and randomly.

At that, everyone turned to look at her.

"The Reverend Mother was boozing?" Shikamaru asked skeptically.

"Why was she hiding from one of the sisters?" asked Hinata shyly.

"You can _sing?_" Kankuro asked, also skeptically.

"Yes, she was boozing, she does that a lot, she was hiding from Sister Shizune because she was boozing, and yes, I can sing; everyone can sing." Sakura said, answering their questions.

"Well, we can't." Tamari said confidently, turning her head away and going back to her meal.

"But-you did, the first night that I was here! We were singing about our favorite things, remember?" Sakura asked, surprised that they hadn't remembered that.

Several of the kids looked off into the distance, like they were remembering something, then said at the same time, "Oh, yeah!"

"But, I thought only you sang. We were just saying stuff that we liked, and you were getting uncomfortable." Tenten pointed out.

"Well, then, I should teach you to sing. What sort of songs do you like?" Sakura asked, not knowing what it was that she was getting herself into. The answer was instantly a babble of voices, all trying to tell her what song it was that they wanted to sing. In the end, she decided to teach them the basics first.

"Okay, first, and this is for everyone, boys and girls included, we need to start with the basics. _Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start."_

"Naw shit, really? I didn't know that." Kiba said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. A lot of the little angels laughed at that.

Ignoring them, Sakura went on. "_When you read you begin with-?"_ Sakura sang/asked, looking at Hinata.

"_A-a, b, c?"_ Hinata answered uncertainly. Sakura replied with a smile.

"_When you sing you begin with do re mi._" Sakura sang/explained. Everyone, captivated in the random, not really important life lesson that Sakura was giving, repeated "_Do re mi._"

"_Do re mi fa so la ti!_" Sakura began, gut saw that they were either lost (Naruto), confused (Naruto), or a mixture of the two (Naruto. Oh, and everyone else.) "Okay, let's try it like this." Sakura explained.

"_Doe, a deer, a female deer-_"

"You mean a female Shikamaru?" Temari asked, Ino giggling. Shikamaru just scowled at them.

"_-ray, a drop of golden sun-_"

"I'm like a drop of golden sun!" Naruto exclaimed, apparently pleased with himself.

"No, you're a person. You can't be a 'drop' of anything, Naruto." Shino explained calmly and quietly.

"Oh. Then ramen's like a drop of golden sunshine!" Naruto decided. Everyone else sweat dropped.

"_-me, a name, I call myself-_" Sakura continued, unfazed. By now, she was well used to Naruto and his antics. Oh, and of everyone else, too.

"…When I was younger, I was told that my name meant that I should love only myself." Gaara intoned. Subtly, the one's who were sitting next to him moved away slightly.

"_-far, a long-a way to run-_"

"I can run a long way! Neji, I challenge you-!" Lee exclaimed, suddenly standing up.

"No." Neji replied, not even looking at Lee. Lee then sat back down, sulking.

"_-sow, a needle pulling thread-_"

"L-like embroidery? I-I can embroider s-some things." Hinata said shyly, embarrassed at actually giving her input like her brothers and sister had done, but still pleased and proud with herself for her bravery.

"_-la, a note to follow sow-_"

"What, you couldn't think of anything clever to put there?" Neji scoffed.

"_-tea, I drink with jam and bread-_"

"Eh, I prefer coffee, myself." Kankuro said.

"What _kind_ of tea?" Temari asked suspiciously.

"Any kind you want." Sakura replied.

"I can make tea." Hinata said, slightly loud for her, though in a normal tone for everyone else.

"Yeah, Hinata-chan can make really good tea! You should ask her to make you some sometime, but ask her _verrrry _nicely!" Naruto said, wrapping his arm around Hinata's shoulder, pulling her to him slightly. Hinata burst out into a furious blush that everyone noticed, except for Naruto himself. Neji, who of course saw this, started scowling and glaring at Naruto, that is, until Tenten rubbed his shoulder until he calmed down. Sakura, however, seemed to be oblivious to this.

"_-and that will bring us back to doe!_" Everyone seemed to jump slightly at her voice, as if they broke free from their own thoughts.

"Yeah, back to a female Shikamaru!" Ino and Temari chimed together. They both turned to look at each other, and then burst into a fit of giggles. Shikamaru, however, looked indignant while Choji tried to make him feel better. Kankuro shrugged at him as if saying, "Eh, what can you do?"

"Okay, enough making fun of Shikamaru. Just remember, who is it who helps you with your homework?" Sakura said loudly, getting everyone's attention. Ino looked scared, Temari looked slightly worried, and a few people looked at Shikamaru accusingly, as if they only just realized that the few times Shikamaru had helped them with their homework and got the answer wrong were times when they had upset him somehow. Shikamaru shrugged at them to say, "Eh, what'd you expect?"

"So, now you all know the basics." Sakura said, to stop the lynch mob that was slowly approaching Shikamaru. "Now all we have to do is choose a song to sing. And this time-" Sakura said quickly, interrupting whatever suggestion they were going to make, "_I'll_ choose. Now, while I think about which song to choose, we should pack up our lunch and head home. Who wants me to help them with their homework instead of Shikamaru? Though, probably only Ino and Temari have to worry about that."

At that, several teenagers crowded around Sakura, casting distrustful looks at Shikamaru. Shikamaru just sighed, muttered troublesome, and walked back to the Uchiha mansion beside Choji, while looking at the clouds.

x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**.x.**x**

When they got back to the house, after an hour of homework, though it probably should have only taken a quarter of that time due to Sakura having to help everyone, Sakura and the kids were sitting on the floor in the entrance hall, talking and getting to know each other (Sakura) better.

"So, you've been in the _convent_ your _whole life_?!?" Ino asked loudly, hardly believing that anyone could last that long in the convent. Ino was currently braiding Hinata's long hair, so when she asked Sakura the question, she jerked her hands slightly, pulling on Hinata's hair.

"Ahh!" Hinata squeaked.

"Sorry, Hinata-chan. Didn't mean to!" Ino said, apologizing with her eyes closed and a slight smile.

"That's okay. But, if you don't mind, can Tenten braid my hair instead?" Hinata asked, wincing slightly because her hair/head still hurt.

Ino pouted at that, and started braiding Sakura's hair instead. Over the time that they had spent together, Sakura and the kids had become friends, even to some extent close friends. But back to the hair braiding/Sakura living in a convent.

"Hey, Hinata." Temari asked suddenly. Hinata turned to look at her. "How come you didn't ask me to braid your hair?" Temari asked jokingly. Quite a few people turned to look at Temari, to see if she was still sane.

"What?!? I know how to braid hair too!" Temari said aggressively.

"Yeah, but only girls know how to braid hair!" Kiba said, laughing.

"So? I'm a girl too, ya know. Why else do you think Kankuro calls me 'sis'?" Temari asked angrily. Nobody answered, and several people turned to look anywhere but at Temari. "What?!"

"Anyway, to answer your question, Ino, yes I have lived in a convent for all of my life. Or at least for as long as I can remember." Sakura said, diverting attention away from an angry Temari.

"But, like, how did you get involved in the convent?" Ino asked, obviously confused as to why someone would willingly choose to spend their whole life in a convent.

"Because, I was an orphan, and the Reverend Mother, Lady Tsunade, found me and raised me. This was right before she joined the convent herself, but when she did join, she was quickly elevated to the position of Reverend Mother, though they probably regret that now." Sakura said with a smirk.

"Oh, cause she drinks?" Naruto asked.

"Well, that too, but she also gambles, very badly, might I add, and she hardly shows up to mass of any other religious event that the convent has, unless there's some form of liquor there. Oh, and she masks her age."

"What do you mean?" Gaara asked. Yes, Gaara really actually put forth something of his own accord.

"Well, she has this jutsu she does, (she's a kunoichi, too. She taught me everything I know), and she's actually about fifty, but she looks like she does when she was in her twenties. She says that they were the best years of her life, so she wants to stay that way forever. If you ask me, I think she's just phobic about growing older." A few people snorted at that.

Sakura was about to say something else, probably another story about her time in the convent, when Akamaru lifted his nose in the air to smell something. Kiba lifted his nose, too, and when he saw the questioning looks, he said, "It smells like two people are coming to the door, both men, and they smell slightly familiar, though I can't remember why."

"Probably more policemen to question us about the bicycle gangs' thefts." Shikamaru said lazily from where he was lying on the floor.

Before anyone could say anything, they heard a knock at the door. Naruto, who was closest to the door, said "I'll get it!" and ran over to open it.

Standing at the door were two men, neither of them policemen. Both were wearing a black cloak/robe-thing with red clouds on it with high collars that hid the bottom halves of their faces. The bigger of the tow men was standing facing the side, behind the smaller man in front. The smaller man was who Sakura was looking at, because he looked like Uchiha Sasuke, except this man had lines under his eyes, which were red, and was older. This man also had his hair in a ponytail.

The smaller man was also looking down his nose at Naruto.

"Hard to believe that _this_ is the brat that we came here for." The larger man said. It was only when this man spoke that Sakura got a good look at him.

He had blue skin and hair, had what appeared to be gills on his cheeks, and looked suspiciously like a shark. He also had, what Sakura now noticed, what appeared to be a large sword, almost as large as the man himself, and was wrapped in bandages.

Naruto kept staring up at the dangerous looking men as if he could hardly believe what he was seeing. By now, Sakura had stood up, and saw that Naruto's expression was mirrored on everyone else's face. Not sure exactly what she should do, Sakura slowly approached the door, to protect the kids as it was her job to, and because she had taken a liking to them.

"Naruto, why don't you come with us?" The smaller of the men said to Naruto. "Why don't you step out of the house?"

Naruto, it seemed, was transfixed with the man, though it could have been because of the man's red eyes, both of which had some kind of black-dot design. Naruto stepped out onto the front step. Sakura, about to say something, was interrupted by the large man talking to the smaller man.

"Itachi-san, it would be bothersome to have him wandering off somewhere," the large man said, reaching for his sword. "Perhaps we should cut off one of his legs of something."

Naruto seemed to be jarred out of whatever trance he was in and looked shocked, before he sprang and launched himself at the smaller man, shouting.

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**You have no idea how long I've been waiting to write that scene. *sniffle* Well, Itachi and Kisame are there now, but what do they want with Naruto? As for the songs that they're going to be singing, I'm not a very good judge of that, so I NEED YOU TO REVIEW OR P.M. ME TELLING ME WHICH SONGS YOU WANT THEM TO DO!!! I absolutely REFUSE to update until I get a suggestion. You can also tell me which characters you want to sing which songs, if you want more than one character to sing a song, etc. So, please review! ^_^**


	16. Uncle Itachi, Uncle Kisame!

**Well, it wasn't ****such**** a long wait, was it? I made sure to hurry and finish the chapter I was working on so that I could do this one. I hope you like it! ^_^**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto… Sounds like a Naruto version of a Dr. Seuss book. Which my mom checked out of the library today. Cause Dr. Seuss books are just that awesome. You know it's true. Anyways, my point is that I don't own Naruto. Or any Dr. Seuss books.**

**Translation-thingy:**

This **means that it's normal text.**

_This_ **means emphasis or Sakura's/other people's thoughts.**

_This_ **means Inner Sakura's thoughts. Or emphasis.**

**This** means emphasis. Or any other random shit.

**Rating: T for swearing. Like what I just did up there.**

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"Uncle Itaccchhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!" Naruto shouted, leaping towards the shorter man in black, apparently named Itachi, and gave him a hug as if he hadn't seen him in years. Itachi looked slightly put out, but still vaguely happy to see his nephew. The blue man behind Itachi, who by now you should know is Kisame, looked upset that he wasn't getting a hug, too.

However, when the kids had heard Naruto shout 'Uncle Itachi', they, too, leapt to their feet to give their uncle a hug, though a few also gave Kisame a hug as well, saying "Uncle Kisame!" (**An: Bet you didn't see that coming XD**)

By now, Sakura knew that she must have a very confused expression on her face.

_What's going on?_ Sakura asked her Inner Self.

_Heck if I knew. I only know and see what you see. Thus, __**Inner-Self**__._ Inner Sakura said this last part slowly, as if having to explain it to Naruto.

_You don't have to be insulting._ Sakura replied, slightly miffed. Sakura slowly approached the group of teenagers hugging two adult males, not sure how to phrase her question.

"Um. Excuse me for being rude, but who are you exactly, and why do you want Naruto?"

Naruto took it upon himself to introduce everyone. "Sakura-chan, this is our Uncle Itachi, Father Sasuke's older brother! And this is his friend and partner-buddy in the club their in, Kisame, but we call him Uncle Kisame! And, and—we have seven other uncles, and one aunt! (**Me: *cough*Akatsuki*cough***) Though, she's been missing for a while. Uncle Itachi and the rest of our uncles say it's because she was out on vacation for a while, and got trapped in some country in the middle of the war that's brewing. But, our Uncle Hidan says that it's 'cause she and our Uncle Pein got into a fight, and she left him." For some reason, all throughout the explanation, Naruto was very chipper, even at the last part.

Sakura, however, sweat-dropped at this. _For some reason, those names seem familiar…_ "Okay, but that doesn't explain why they wanted you specifically…"

"Hey, kid. Who's the broad? Another one of your governess's? 'Cause you know, your Uncle's Hidan and Deidara and I came up with some more ways to…ah…_welcome_ her more." Kisame said to Naruto, giving him a conspirator's wink.

Sakura visibly paled at this. _He would help them torture me? And I thought we had gotten past all of that!_

_You're also forgetting that two other "Uncles" helped him come up with ideas, too,_ Inner Sakura reminded her with a shudder.

"No, no! Its okay, I mean, yeah, she is a governess, but she's not a Governess. You know?" Tenten explained quickly, defending Sakura.

"Yeah, she's actually nice to us!" Kiba added excitedly.

"She's not even as in to our father as some of the other's are!" Ino put in, making Sakura blush some.

Kisame and Itachi, still draped with teenagers, stared intently at Sakura, making her squirm slightly.

"They actually like you. What did you do?" Kisame asked with genuine curiosity. Itachi seemed partially interested in the answer, but had a neutral expression on his face. Years of Uchiha training, you see.

"I…treat them like…sentient beings?" Sakura answered uncertainly.

"Wow, no one's tried that before!" Kisame exclaimed shocked and happy.

"Except for Sasori's grandmother, remember?" Itachi reminded Kisame.

"Oh, yeah. Her. She kind of creeps me out." Kisame said to no one in particular.

"Um, s-should we get i-inside now? It l-looks like it's going to r-rain soon, Uncle Itachi, Uncle Kisame." Hinata said.

"Y-yeah, you all need to get in before the rain, or you could catch a cold. Possibly a fever." Sakura said, medical training and governess duty taking control. Kisame looked sad at this prospect, though it could have been because of missing the rain, instead of missing out on a chance to get a cold. Or, that's what Sakura was assuming, anyways.

"So, you still haven't explained why you want Naruto." Sakura said once they were all inside. By now, pretty much all of the teenagers were sitting around on the floor where they had been before, watching the exchange between their governess and uncles as if it were a tennis match.

"Ah, yes. That matter. First, I think it best that you know that Kisame, myself, and our other associates are from the monastery up the road a bit. Don't ask why we are there, it is none of your concern. Nevertheless, it came to our attention that quite a few large ramen bills were delivered to us. Normally, we would be scouring the place, trying to find out not only who was billing us for their ramen, but also how they got a hold of our credit number. However, upon further inspection, we found that the ramen size eaten was too much for most people, even if they were in a group." At this, Itachi turned his attention to Naruto, who was fidgeting, imagining the ramen. "This amount of ramen is, on the other hand, the perfect amount for Naruto. Therefore, we need to take him to see Kakuzu about this, since it was his money that had to pay for the ramen, and we have to find out how you got a hold of his credit number. Now, come with us, Naruto."

Naruto, only just shocked out of his daydreams about ramen by the accusation, stared at his uncles incredulously.

"But-but I don't know! I didn't even pay for the ramen! It was a treat, really it was! You-you have to believe me, Uncle Itachi, Uncle Kisame! Hinata-chan, Bushy Brows, Kiba, someone, back me up here!" Naruto pleaded to his friends/siblings. Itachi looked skeptical, but looked with interest to see if the others would back him up. Kisame wasn't paying attention, bored as if he had seen this before, and was watching with rapt attention at the rain falling.

Sakura, meanwhile, had stood rigid with shock ever since Itachi had explained that both he and Kisame were from the monastery. The only monastery around could only be THE monastery. The one next to the convent.

_They're…they're from __**there!**_ Sakura thought with alarm.

_That explains why their names were familiar, though._ Inner Sakura said in a monotone, shocked.

Sakura broke off whatever she was about to tell herself when she heard Itachi accuse Naruto.

_No! And it's my fault, too! Wha-what do I do?_ Sakura thought, panic-stricken.

_Let me take over real quick. No one will know, not even that brat Naruto._ Inner Sakura ordered.

"-but it's true, Uncle Itachi! Naruto didn't pay at all!" Kiba protested.

"Then who _did_ pay?" Itachi asked, his exterior still surprisingly calm. Obviously, he has had to deal with children like this before, like when Sasuke was little, with Kisame sometimes, and with Deidara when he started going on and on about how big a bastard he supposedly was.

"I did. You see, I myself am from the convent," Sakura, who was now Inner Sakura, explained. Itachi, and even Kisame, roused from where he was watching the rain, flinched slightly at the mention of 'convent'. "And at one point there, as a punishment from the Reverend Mother, I had to do the bookkeeping for both the convent and the monastery, so I'm afraid that when I went to go pay for the ramen, I must have accidentally remembered your Kakuzu-san's credit number and gave it to the proprietor." Inner Sakura explained, slightly pleased with herself.

Itachi and Kisame stared incredulously at her. Naruto and the rest of the teenagers stared in awe at her for not letting Naruto get into trouble. All of a sudden, Kisame laughed.

"Buwahahaha! Kakuzu's money was taken by a nun from the convent, who is governess to Itachi-san's nieces and nephew's, and took the money by 'accident'! This is so great, and he can't even do anything about it, really! He is going to be so pissed! And he won't even take it out on us!" Kisame exclaimed, very happy with this development.

By now, Sakura was herself again, and was staring at Kisame in confusion. A few of the other kids showed confusion about this, but it was mostly the innocent ones *cough*Hinata*cough*, while others seemed to share his view on this. Itachi, however, looked around the room curiously.

"Out of curiosity, since that matter is now over, where is Sasuke by the way?" Itachi asked, no longer showing indifference.

"Oh, Captain Sasuke is in the Village Hidden in the Grass on a business-" Sakura started to explain.

"Pleasure, is more like it." Tenten muttered under her breath softly. A few other teenagers seemed to share this viewpoint, as well.

"-business trip, and should be back sometime next week." Sakura finished explaining, casting a look at Tenten. Tenten just shrugged, unrepentant. Sakura sighed.

"Oh. I see. Well, Kisame, we should get back now. Our business is over." Itachi stated to Kisame. Kisame looked very upset by this. When Itachi turned to say goodbye to everyone and saw their sad puppy faces, he sighed, smiled, and said to them, "Don't worry, we just have to go back to tell everyone what really happened. We shall try to come back at the beginning of next week. Okay?"

The teenagers, or at least the ones that would and hadn't gotten over Itachi and Kisame visiting yet, all cheered at this. The others who were too calm, level-headed, tough, or lazy to cheer at that either smirked or smiled.

After a long goodbye, where several people had to pry Naruto and several others from Itachi and Kisame, they left.

* * *

**Well, that seemed like a good place to stop. I hope you liked it, and please review!**


	17. Sasuke's back

**Hey, I'm here! First, I just want to say thank you to the two who reviewed in suggestions for songs to use. For xo-music-of-the-night-ox, the name of the song that you suggested was 'Magic' by PILOT. Also, Gina Ichimaru's girl, I seriously thank you for your suggestions of Seize the day and We're not gonna take it. Thank you; I listened to them, and I fell in love. Same goes for xo-music-of-the-night-ox and your suggestion of Billy S. and Untouched. I'm so going to use those, and your other suggestions as I can. Oh, and for everyone else, SASUKE'S BACK! Yeah, he finally came back. Hope you like, and please review!**

**Disclaimer: Maya_chan2007 does not own Naruto, Sound of Music, or any random songs that I may use for this chapter/story. Thank you.**

* * *

When the teenagers realized that their Father (Sasuke-teme) was coming home the following week they started to panic, trying to prepare for his arrival. Most were panicked, thinking that they wouldn't have enough time to do anything special for his arrival; it was even suggested that they hire a carnival for his arrival, but Sakura wisely pointed out that Sasuke probably wouldn't appreciate coming home from a long trip to find that there's a carnival outside his house (cough*mansion*cough) and that he would have to pay for it too.

Shikamaru added that it should have been obvious that it was a stupid idea, and Temari threatened to punch his head in if all he could do was criticize. Ino vehemently agreed, and added that if he was so smart, how come he couldn't see that they would ask something like that. Choji go involved to help his friend; Kiba stepped in to defend his girlfriend, and Naruto, not wanting to be left out joined in as well. When Naruto started coming under attack, Hinata and Lee stepped in to defend him. When someone criticized Hinata, Kiba go upset again, and Shino, Neji, and Tenten to help Neji, came in to back her up. Gaara felt conflicted, wondering whether he should back up his sister of Naruto and Lee. Kankuro was laughing his ass off and wasn't very helpful.

Sakura eventually had to make clones of herself and use her strength to breakup the fight that was threatening to happen. Naruto, in the mood to show off, was in the process of making clones himself when Sakura gave him a glare that screamed out _if-you-so-much-as-even-think-of-going-through-with-that-and-causing-me-trouble-I'll-make-you-pay._ Needless to say, Naruto backed off.

After turning drill sergeant on them to get rid of their extra energy, Sakura suggested that they give a performance to Sasuke when he comes back. After seeing the blank looks that she was given that weren't necessarily from Gaara or Shino, she explained better.

"Well, you could maybe put on a play for him…Or, I know! You could sing him a song, since you've been practicing—Shino, I know he would love to hear your voice…Actually, anybody would be glad to hear your voice…" Sakura explained. Shino ducked his head further into the collar of his coat.

"You're making me blush…"

"Sorry, man, but it's the truth. I can't believe that a voice like that comes from someone as creepy as you." Kiba added, putting his arm around his shoulder in a guy-hug. Shino shrugged out from under him.

"Hn."

_Wow, he's a lot like Captain Sasuke…_ Sakura thought.

_Why do you call him 'Captain'? I mean, I know that he's a captain, but he's not here. Why not call him Sasuke, like I do? And I have a feeling that they're all like him._ Inner Sakura asked.

_Because, unlike you, I have manners._

_Yeah, yeah._

"Are you having another conversation with yourself, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, breaking into Sakura's concentration. By now, everyone knew about Inner Sakura, and they were always interested in knowing what she had to say.

"Yeah, I am." Sakura said a little bit guiltily.

"What'd you have to say?" Ino asked curiously.

"Well, my Inner-self and I were just commenting on how much you all resemble your father." Sakura said, smiling.

"That's because Father Sasuke's the best, as in EVER! Father Sasuke-teme is so way cooler than any other dad there could possibly be out there!" Naruto gushed, happy to talk, and even insult, his father. Sakura sweat-dropped.

"Yeah, but anyways, what should we sing for him? It's got to be perfect, and he has to love it." Tenten said with conviction.

"Oh, oh! I have an idea!" Naruto shouted, jumping up and down in the air, waving his hand around.

"No." A great portion of the group said, not even looking at him.

"But, you see, it's perfect! Listen…"Naruto explained. A few teenagers looked skeptical, though a few looked resigned.

"It's not like we're going to choose a better song on short notice…" Shikamaru considered, thinking hard to try and find one better.

"I suppose we could always sing Numb for him," Kiba suggested. This idea was shot down almost as fast as Naruto's was, since it apparently counted as an insult to Sasuke. Even if it is very perfect for him.

(Various teen ninjas: whose side are you on, anyways?

Me: On my own side. And you know it's perfect.

Other various teen ninjas: Well, that's true…)

With a song picked out for Sasuke's return, Sakura had to find something else to distract the excitable teens (well, except for Shikamaru, for obvious reasons) with.

"Your uncle Itachi's coming later this week, right? Well, when he comes, should we do something special for him, too?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah! Though, he'll probably bring some of our other uncles too. We could always do something for them, as well." Kankuro said.

"Most likely, they will have something for us to do, or they will bring something with them." Gaara said calmly.

"Okay, so that's going to be taken care of," Sakura said, frowning slightly. She needed to find something that would distract the teens for a long period of time. Suddenly, and idea came to her. "Hey, have you all ever climbed trees before?"

After a long conversation in which the teens disparaged Sakura by telling her, of course they've climbed trees, their ninja, right, Sakura asked them if they had ever climbed trees by not using ninja techniques, a few had to admit that they never had. So, Sakura led the teens on a tree-climbing expedition that for some strange reason was near the monastery/convent.

Also coincidentally, Sasuke was driving back home on the road that passed under said trees, along with his guests Baroness Karin and a fellow guest, Kakashi.

Sasuke was driving down a dirt road, talking animatedly with Baroness Karin and Kakashi about random things. Yeah, I know, I was surprised too. Anyways, they were talking about different musical acts that Kakashi was looking for, since he was apparently a talent scout.

"As I was telling you, it's becoming more and more difficult to find good acts these days. They're either taken, horrible, or unorganized, and not popular. The one act that I found that was actually decent, you know what happened?" Kakashi asked animatedly.

"Some son of a bitch stole them, and your two best friends ran off with them," Sasuke and Karin said together, having heard this story about fifty times already. But for some reason, Kakashi still couldn't get the hint.

"Exactly!" Kakashi exclaimed angrily. The reminder of his failure was still harsh. Before Kakashi could continue ranting, a chorus of female voices came from the monastery/convent.

"_Glor~or-or-or-or, or-or-or-or-or, or-or-ORia!_" Then nuns sang, sounding beautiful as they sang _Gloria_.

The monks from the monastery, however, didn't think so.

"_I've-! Become so numb, I can't feel you there!_"

The nuns didn't like this interruption, so they devised a counter-measure.

"_All the things she said, all the things she said, running through my head, running through my head~"_

"Seems like their having a sing-off, doesn't it?" Karin asked, shading her eyes from the glare of the sun through the trees as she looked over at the building that housed both the monastery and the convent.

"Yeah, they don't get along well. Even though their supposed to be religious and above such things," Sasuke commented as he glanced in the general direction of the monastery/convent.

"You know, their not that bad. I wonder if I could recruit them…" Kakashi contemplated thoughtfully.

"I doubt it. Even though they're having their sing off, they still probably have their morals, right?" Karin asked. Oh, poor, naïve woman.

"Well, it's not as if I'm going to randomly stumble on a singing group in Sasuke's house while we're staying there, so I might as well as search every possible place that I can." Kakashi answered matter-of-factly.

Their conversation got de-railed a bit when all of a sudden, they heard random shouting, yelling, horrible singing, taunting, and other general loud noises coming from the trees above them.

"What's this? Local ragamuffins?" Karin asked, looking up at the teenagers in the trees, and what looked like a grown woman, though it was hard to tell, since her head was behind one of the trees, yelling at some of the kids. **(Me: Heh heh, ragamuffin…)**

"Looks like it." Kakashi answered, not even looking up. Instead, he was reading his infamous little orange book.

"Who ever raised them did a horrible job. Probably encouraged them, too." Sasuke said calmly, not noticing who it was exactly in the trees. It was as they were passing under the last of them that Sasuke thought he saw a flash of orange. This flash of orange also appeared to have a loud mouth.

_No. It can't be. It's not; they're probably at home, giving the governess no end of grief. Great, now I'm going to have to hire someone else…_ Sasuke thought, quickly dismissing that it was most likely his children in the trees and instead focusing on how he could find another governess, one who hadn't heard of his children yet. He thought that he had hit the jackpot with a nun, but knowing his kids, probably not. Maybe if he got someone foreign…

Back at the Uchiha mansion…

Sasuke was walking Karin around the grounds, showing her various sights, and Kakashi was in the house, making some calls.

"These are wonderful sights that you're showing me, Sasuke-kun. But I wonder, where are your delightful children that I've heard so much about?" Karin asked, batting her eyes flirtatiously.

"According to my maid, doorman, and grounds man, their governess took them out somewhere. I wonder if her sanity is still intact…" Sasuke said absentmindedly, thinking about how his children must have broken her spirit already and had her doing their bidding. Not very trusting, is he?

Before either of them could say anything, they heard a chorus of strangled voices singing very badly, _row, row, row your boat!_

Turning to look towards the large river that conveniently was next to the Uchiha property line, Sasuke and Karin saw a large row boat coming towards them with the missing kids and their governess coming towards them.

* * *

**Well, that seemed like a good enough place to stop. Plus, it's getting sort of late, even though I'm on spring break right now, but my mom's getting us a new TV so there's gonna be people coming to my house tomorrow to install it. Moral of the story is that I'll probably be up early tomorrow, so I'm signing off, as it were. Please review! **


	18. Be our guest!

**Okay, I know, it's been a while. But, I have some good news! I'm graduating next Friday! As in, graduating from high school! Yay me! So, the question is, did I not type for so long because of preparations for graduation, or is it because I discovered mahjong? It was the mahjong; it's addicting. Also, in a few days' time, I'm going to an anime convention as Konan of the Akatsuki! So please leave a review, it will be the icing on the cake!**

**Disclaimer: Maya-chan2007 does not own Naruto, the Sound of Music, or any songs that may be used in this chapter or the rest of this story.**

* * *

Sasuke stood flabbergasted near the edge of the stairs that led down to the small river that ran its way through his property. _Are those my kids? Of course they are, no one else is allowed anywhere near my property…And that's their governess, too. She-she's going right along with them…_Sasuke thought, watching his children and their governess sing awfully ( the song 'row, row, row your boat' in a cross between a funeral dirge and for some reason the tune to 'if you're happy and you know it') and row in their boat closer and closer to where both he and Baroness Karin were standing-wait, Baroness Karin!

Spinning quickly to see what she made of all this, Sasuke saw that Karin was trying not to laugh, and was covering this fact with her hand over her mouth. Turning back to look at his children, Sasuke scowled. _They better have a good reason for this…_

After about a minute, someone on the boat noticed Sasuke and some strange lady standing at the edge and looking (scowling, in Sasuke's case, but that's considered looking for him) at them in the boat.

"Father!"

"Father's back!"

"Welcome back, Father!" Various people shouted, trying to get his attention first. Nobody seemed to pay any mind to the person of the opposite gender that was standing precariously close (within five feet!) of Sasuke.

In the commotion to try and be the first to get to Sasuke, the boat overturned and everyone seemed to forget their ninja training and fell in the water.

Losing his patience, and his temper, Sasuke shouted, "All right, get out of the water right now! Line up!"

Not really noticing his mood, the kids slowly, laughing all the way about how they were all wet, got out of the water. As they weren't moving fast enough for Sasuke's liking, he shot them one of his infamous 'Sharingan Glares' and took out his loud, practically a dog whistle, whistle and blew it. The children immediately formed a line, though Kiba and Akamaru were whimpering.

When he saw that he had his children's attention, Sasuke attempted to save face and introduced Karin to his children and vice versa.

"Children, this is Baroness Karin," Sasuke said, motioning to where Karin was standing. Karin smiled at them, a laugh still on her lips, and waved a little. "And Karin these…are my children…" Sasuke admitted a little reluctantly.

Sakura, coming out of the water last, walked slowly towards where the teenagers were being introduced to some strange, although admittedly beautiful woman.

_That's the baroness Karin that Captain Sasuke was talking about, right?_ Sakura asked her Inner Self.

_**Yeah, that's what he just said, weren't you paying attention?**_ Inner Sakura scolded.

_I was kind of busy trying to get out of the water-the little brats kept pushing me back in the water while trying to get out of it so they could see their father…_ Sakura complained.

_**Yeah, well, I don't blame them. He's only been gone a few months, and we only met him for that one day, but doesn't it seem as if he's gotten hotter, if possible?**_

_Shut up, he's saying something to the kids!_ Sakura yelled to herself.

"Get inside now and clean up, your dripping everywhere," Sasuke said to his children in a stern tone of voice.

The kids looked downcast as they headed, still in a single file line, towards the house, though a few looked secretly angry.

Sakura was about to follow behind them when Sasuke called for her to stay. Karin quietly excused herself, saying that she had better check on Kakashi, to make sure that he wasn't wasting his time by reading his book, or arguing with his former best friends who went over to 'the dark side', as he puts it.

Sasuke and Sakura were left alone, with an uncomfortable silence hanging over them as Sasuke tried to sort out his angry thoughts, to find one that was actually coherent.

"Was it my imagination…Or could my children have been……climbing trees today?" Sasuke asked in a strained voice.

"Of course!" Sakura answered, startled. "They had said that they had never climbed trees without using chakra before, so I took them climbing. They had the most wonderful time!" Sakura said happily.

"Climbing…trees…Wonderful—time?" Sasuke sputtered out.

"…Yes…" Sakura replied uncertainly, only noticing now that Sasuke was in a bad mood (to put lightly).

"So…has this…tree climbing thing only happened this one time?" Sasuke asked, visibly trying to calm himself down, though it looked like it was working. His face wasn't as red as his beloved tomatoes, at least.

"Of course! The rest of the time we had outings in Konoha, though this one time, we were on bicycles, and…" Sakura started, until she was interrupted.

_**Hey, shut up! Can't you see that you're making him angrier?!**_ Inner Sakura asked, very upset.

_Huh? What are you-?_

"…So you mean to tell me that my children-those agents of chaos and disorder-have been running around Konoha, doing Kami knows what?" Sasuke said, barely containing his rage enough to not shout.

"That's not fair to your kids! They've been great, though if you were here long enough, then you would notice." Sakura said, getting angry herself.

"What was that?" Sasuke snapped.

"Well, for instance, Temari. She's just a girl now, but one day you're going to wake up wherever the hell you happen to be and find out that she's a woman, with her share of suitors. Kankuro, well, I'm not that sure about him yet, but he's very skilled with his puppets, and not just at fighting! He needs encouragement if he's going to continue his puppetry for enjoyment! Tenten, well, she's obsessed with you, though I don't know why. Neji, he seems to have some sort of troubled past and is always trying to do things for himself; if he had some sort of assistance, then he could get over whatever was bothering him, instead of blaming it all on 'fate' or 'destiny'. Lee, well, he's an excitable child, but he always acts like nothing's wrong when he secretly doubts himself!" Sakura ranted, sounding like she could go on like this for a while. Sasuke didn't let her, though.

"How dare you talk about my children like that to me?! You think I don't know them?!" Sasuke yelled at her.

"Well, you would if you were ever around them long enough! They just want to be loved!" Sakura yelled back.

"Don't talk to me as if I don't know them! Get out of here!" Sasuke shouted at a stunned Sakura. Sasuke looked like he was about to say something, in a hopefully calmer manner, when he stopped.

In the distance, coming from what looked like the house, came what sounded like singing.

"What's that?" Sasuke asked softly, almost to himself.

"Its singing, Captain," Sakura said in a daze, still shocked that she was fired just like that.

"Yes I know it's singing, but who is singing?" Sasuke asked, a little irritated.

"The children. We wanted to surprise you and Baroness Karin with a song; they've been practicing for a while," Sakura rambled. _We're fired. I can't believe we're fired. We-we have to go back to the convent after this…I don't want to go back!_

While Sakura was having her internal debate, Sasuke was hurrying in to where he could hear his children singing.

_I didn't even know they knew __how__ to sing…_ Sasuke mused. _But, wait, what is it that their singing? It sounds like…No. They wouldn't. Oh, wait, they __would__._

Upon entering the doorway of the living room, Sasuke saw what looked like his children serenading Karin, who looked amused. But when they saw Sasuke, they turned their singing onto him.

"**Be…our…guest! Be our guest! Put our service to the test!"** The group, mainly Naruto, sang to Sasuke.

"Idiot. I _live_ here." Sasuke said mightily to Naruto.

Instead of being upset about this the group of teenagers who would actually sing of their own free will turned a ninety-degree angle back towards Karin, who visibly flinched when they turned so quickly back to her.

"**Tie your napkin 'round your neck Cherie and we'll provide the rest,"** Shino sang, as his solo.

_He sings like angels…_ Karin thought, swooning slightly on the inside despite herself.

Sakura, who had come in from behind, chuckled slightly. Sasuke noticed this, and turned around. Upon noticing that she was being watched, Sakura stiffened and turned away quickly to go upstairs and pack.

"…Don't go anywhere," Sasuke asked (ordered) to everyone in the living room as he set off after Sakura.

* * *

Meanwhile, hidden in one of the corners, Kakashi leaned against the wall, contemplating on his new find.

* * *

"Sakura, wait." Sasuke asked (ordered) Sakura as she was halfway up the stairs.

_Dammit, what more could he want from us?_ Sakura asked herself.

_**Maybe…maybe he wants us to pay for the rent and board! But we can't, we're only nuns! Not even nuns, nuns-in-training!**_ Inner Sakura put forth, freaking out slightly (not).

"Y-yes, Captain?" Sakura asked in a slightly strained voice, betraying that she was nervous.

Blushing slightly, but not noticeably, Sasuke asked, "Will you stay?"

"…Huh?" Sakura asked, confused.

"I-I want you to stay…the kids would be upset if you suddenly left. And- you must have done something to them, if they don't even mind strangers in the house, and they're even _singing_ to them." Sasuke cut off abruptly, after babbling a bit. _Damn, what's wrong with me?_

"I…I can stay?" Sakura asked in a small voice, hardly believing what she was hearing. Inner Sakura was doing a victory dance inside of her/their head. Instantly, Sakura thought about how they were leaving the kids alone with Baroness Karin. Sasuke seemed to realize this too, as he quickly turned back around, giving the order, "Go change out of those wet clothes and come back down, so you can be properly introduced to Baroness Karin."

With that, Sakura quickly ran up the stairs, taking them two and three at a time.

* * *

**This chapter took, like, ****way**** too long to write. Normally I just sit down and type, but for some reason (distractions, i.e. mahjong, TV, internet, random shit) it took forever. In fact, right now, it's kind of hard to type this, since my mom's playing **_**Slumdog Millionaire**_** (I don't own) right now, and I don't have that good of an attention span when stuff's on the TV. Anyways, please review, I promise I'll pay attention to that!**


	19. Friends arrive, and Secret Meetings

**Hey people! I'm back from the con that I went to, and let me tell you, it was huge! Or, at least huge for the con's history of four years now. It was so much fun! There was a conga line in the hallways at random times, saying 'yaoi, yaoi, hentai!' Also, I'm sad to say…I just lost The Game! For the people who know what I'm talking about, sorry! For those who don't…damn it, you're winning. Oh, oh, and at the con- there was someone dressed up as Pein! That was so great for me, since I was Konan…and so was this other chick who pulled it off better than I did, since she had a blue wig, when all I had was my brown hair, which I tried to dye, but it didn't work out right. Oh, well. Anyways, that's enough of my rambling, so please enjoy the rest of the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. After seeing the con, and how people were acting when dressed up as characters from there, I'm not sure if I'd want to own it, since the characters became so warped…**

_Italics_ mean emphasis or thoughts.

_Underlined Italics _mean Inner Sakura's thoughts/speech patterns.

_**Bold Italicized Underline**_ means heavy emphasis.

Anything else, I'm sure you can figure out. You all are smart people! XD

* * *

Sasuke rushed to the living room to try and save Baroness Karin from the horrors that were his teenage children. When he reached the threshold, Sasuke looked in to see Karin hunched over in her chair, shivering.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that she was laughing at an … _amusing _… story that Naruto was telling her of their many trips into town, with Kiba, Lee, and anyone else that wanted to say something adding in their own bits of information.

"-And then we saw the bus driver-guy (or at least that's what Sakura said, she knew him first) again, but he wasn't a bus driver! He was working as a security officer at the aquarium!" Naruto shouted exuberantly.

"I thought he was working as a security guard at the museum we went to?" Neji said from where he was leaning against the wall, not very interested in the goings on by his siblings and their pitiful story-telling skills.

"No, that was when we went there the second time, you're thinking of when he had the job as the street performer," Temari said lazily from the couch where she was lounging at with Gaara and Kankuro.

"Well I know that the first time after the supposed bus driving job, we saw him at the record store…" Ino put forth contemplatively.

Karin was rolling in her seat laughing herself so hard that she had to stop to catch her breath.

Naruto wasn't helping, and neither were any of the teenagers, as they all got into a debate over which jobs the bus driver-guy (Suigetsu) had.

"But, what about that time that we saw him when we were chased on our bikes by the cops? I'm pretty sure that he was selling balloons on the street when we passed by him," Naruto said, recalling when he snagged a free balloon from that. He hadn't known what to do with it afterword, so he gave it to Hinata. Naruto wasn't sure if she liked it or not, because she kept stuttering and blushing, but she took it anyway.

_You know, she looked kind of cute all flustered like that. But, I wonder what it is that made her upset like that? If she didn't like the balloon, then she shouldn't have taken it, especially if it made her upset like that…_ Naruto contemplated, his face scrunching up with the effort.

_...__Idiot__…_ Sasuke thought vehemently in his mind, his hand in a clenched fist that he had propped up on the doorjamb next to him.

Sakura hurried up behind him, slightly panicked by:

1) The teenagers are left alone with Baroness Karin,

2) The teenagers are left _**alone**_ with Baroness Karin,

3) Captain Sasuke is cringing against the doorway,

4) There are loud noises coming from the living room where, lest we forget, the teenagers are, _**alone**_.

Needless to say, Sakura was very, very worried.

After casting Sasuke a quick glance, Sakura burst into the room, only to be glomped by Ino, Tenten, Hinata, Naruto, Lee, and Kiba.

"Sakura-chan, you can tell us the order in which that one guy who kept popping up appeared in and which jobs he had!" Naruto shouted excitedly, with the others agreeing.

…_Hunh?_ Sakura thought bewilderedly.

_These…this bunch of geniuses are my kids…Maybe I haven't been raising them as well as I could have been… _Sasuke thought, his eyes clenched in pain at the thought. Hearing a, now soft, laugh come from the Baroness, Sasuke turned to glance at Karin. _But that's going to change soon…_

* * *

When Sasuke found out that his older brother had been there to visit, his reaction was a mixed one of shock, anger, and resignation.

_Does he not get along with his brother?_ Sakura thought.

_I don't know why. He seemed like a nice guy, both he and Kisame. _Inner Sakura agreed.

Before either could say anything, there was a knock on the front door. As the living room was close to the entry hall, and thus the front door, Sakura and everyone else in the room heard the knock quite clearly.

Noticing everyone's expressions, Sakura saw that Kiba's was one of anticipation, which was mirrored on everyone of the teenager's (to varying degrees) faces, but most predominately was Sasuke's face which was paling slowly.

Sakura heard when Zaku went to answer the door. For some reason, Zaku seemed to be taking his time. Whoever was on the other side of the door wasn't very patient, as the knocking started increasing. What could also be heard was a steady stream of cursing.

"Oh, Kami, he brought everyone along, didn't he?" Sasuke muttered almost too quietly to be heard.

Before Sakura could even think about what this meant, (even though she wouldn't have been able to, since by now most of the teenagers were bouncing up and down with anticipation, freaking Karin out slightly), there was a loud shout of "Katsu!" from outside.

This made Sasuke's eyes widen significantly, and Zaku decided to move his ass to hurry and open the door before…something…happened.

* * *

Since I don't really want to go through the whole 'introduction' thing, let's just say that by now Sakura wonder's just what sort of people Sasuke's brother hangs out with, and whether they don't belong in an asylum somewhere.

As it turns out, Sasuke may not like his brother that much, though it was more like he was just awkward around Itachi, the same could not be said for the older Uchiha.

Apparently, Itachi doted on his brother. An example would be that he brought back a welcome home gift for Sasuke. In the size, shape, texture, and color of a basket full of fresh tomatoes. Sasuke was ecstatic, though he tried not to show it.

But back to Itachi's weird friends; there was Kisame, of course, but there were some new people that Sakura hadn't seen before, but whom the teenagers had latched themselves on.

There was Deidara, the bomber who almost blew up Sasuke's door; Sasori, a puppeteer who would scold and belittle Deidara. Kankuro zoomed in on Sasori as soon as he appeared, something about him being the 'ultimate-ist puppet master, ever-est!'; Hidan, the person who was cursing earlier, who kept trying to tell Sakura about his religion; and Kakuzu, who approached Sakura as soon as he saw her to talk (a.k.a., yell, threaten, etc.) about how she used **HIS** money. Sakura pointed out after a while that he shouldn't have let someone from the convent side do his taxes, and thus learn his account numbers. Kakuzu huffed away to sulk, but the rest of his friends who didn't know about Sakura being one of the nuns from the other side of the Wall turned to her. Sakura just shrugged as if to say, 'so what?'

When the introductions were over, and Sasuke had obtained his beloved fruit/vegetable wannabe, Sasori showed off his own little present to the teenagers. Something about wanting to be the 'favorite uncle' and he 'couldn't let the mad bomber and the masochist steal that title away'. Whatever that meant. And yes, he didn't consider Kakuzu to be much of a threat. Go figure.

"A giant puppet show?!" Kankuro exclaimed, happiness written all over his face.

* * *

Deep in seclusion, in a dark, damp room made of stone and lit only by scattered torch light, a half-shadowed person stood by the wall, waiting. The man had a dark cloak thrown over him to protect from the cold, and his eyes were closed; the sparse half-light of a torch washed over him, highlighting the lines and contours of half of his face.

Soon, it was apparent what the man was waiting for. Or, better put, _who_ the man was waiting for.

Coming in from the only window that cast in the moonlight onto the floor in front of the man, butterflies flew in. The odd thing about these butterflies, the man mused, is that they always seem to fly in the oddest of patterns.

_I guess that's what happens when they're made out of paper,_ the man thought to himself, before quickly focusing on the woman who was now in front of him.

"Konan. What do you have to report?" the man said in his smooth, deep voice, finally opening his eyes.

The woman, Konan, bowed slightly, before stating her findings. "Orochimaru has begun his movements. He is now swiftly approaching the Land Hidden in the Stones. He is contacting several Generals and Village Leaders to join up with him, and I believe that he is even going to approach Uchiha Sasuke again."

The man was in deep thought about this new information for several minutes, closing his eyes again to show that he was in deep thought. Konan was used to this, though, and so stood still. Finally, opening his eyes, the man spoke again.

"We will have to act soon, then. But we shouldn't worry about Uchiha Sasuke; he won't want to have anything to do with Orochimaru. We can still have it so that he works for us."

Konan hesitated though, which caused the man to raise his eyebrow, prompting her to finish her thought.

"Well, it's just-Uchiha Sasuke's new governess for his children; after some extensive research, I found that she is originally from Sound. In fact, her family has some ties to Orochimaru himself, involving serving directly under him," Konan rushed to say.

"…You think that she may be working for him herself?"

"It is possible; just look at Kabuto. He was infiltrating countries to spy for his master for as long has anyone can remember, including when he was only five. It's not impossible to assume that she is as well, if Orochimaru has some sort of early recruitment working for him."

Contemplating this new piece of information with his eyes closed, in what must have been his position whenever he had to think hard and thoroughly about anything important, the man leaned back against the wall again.

"You haven't aroused any suspicion, have you? Not only from Orochimaru and his lackey's, but from others? Mainly from Uchiha Sasuke's household and, most importantly, the Akatsuki?" the man asked with his eyes closed.

"None. Zetsu and Tobi, the information specialists, are too busy with their own lives. Ironically, everyone has become infatuated with the new governess," Konan replied obediently.

"Good," the man said, opening his eyes, "Then our plan can still succeed. We'll keep watching the situation closely. If something happens, that is when we will act. Until then, you know what to do," the man said as a dismissal.

Taking her cue, Konan left in a flurry of paper butterflies. Yes, the man decided, the paper butterflies did fly differently than real butterflies.

* * *

**I know what you're thinking. Why did I suddenly cut from the puppet show part to the Konan+Mystery Person talk? Because I could. That and it was getting late last night, so I decided that I'll do the actual puppet show-thing next chapter. So, until then, please review! ^_^**


	20. Performances, both good and bad

**Yeah, so, it's been a while. Before you throw pitchforks and rotten vegetables at me, I should probably tell you- I just turned 18! I'm now legal! Yay! Also, right before then, I had to go to College Freshmen Orientation, so that was also something. Oh, and more recently, I had my wisdom teeth cut out. Not so yay. On Monday, I got them cut out; I was planning on finishing this chapter before then, but I got distracted. And I had some chores. And, well, after I was so crazed up on the anesthetic, I seriously don't remember getting into the car. I remember walking, (more like stumbling), to the door, and that's about it. Apparently I almost fell down the stairs; the nurse had to catch me. And yesterday, well, let's just say that I was sick. I won't gross you out with the details…**

**Just take this into consideration when you start complaining about the wait.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, the Sound of Music, or pretty much anything else mentioned in here. Maybe when I was on the anesthesia on Monday, I might have thought about it. I'm not sure, since I can't really remember it. *shrugs***

**Special thanks to: My mommy, for making me a milkshake, jello, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, and other stuff so that I could eat. Oh, and she also helped me out a lot, especially when I was drugged up on the anesthesia, so even though she most likely (definitely) won't read this, thank you so much! I love you! ^_^**

* * *

When Kankuro found out that his favorite 'uncle' Sasori had brought over a puppettering stage for him to practice with, he was ecstatic. Kankuro insisted that he put on a show for his father, Baroness Karin, 'Uncle' Kakashi, and the rest of his visiting 'Uncles'. Oh, and his actual one, too.

Sakura wasn't sure if he could really do a whole puppet show by himself, despite his insisting that he could. A few of the other teenagers were also vaguely interested in the puppet show, so they decided to help out, too. Of course, the rest of the teenagers were hooked into helping too, mostly because of Hinata's puppy-dog-eyes-pout, patent pending.

And thus, the ultimate puppet show began.

Or, at least, it would have if it weren't for the fact that nobody could agree on what they would perform. Hinata was all for _The Lonely Goatherd_ because of all the cute goats, but nobody else seemed to want to do that. A few voted for _The Battle of Sekigahara_, but apparently the version that they wanted to perform didn't actually happen. That, and only a few other people even knew what they were talking about. Temari and Tenten suggested that they do the _Cell Block Tango_, but several of the boys protested, saying that that was a 'girl's only' song. Oh, and Neji didn't want Hinata to be a part of such a thing.

Finally, it was decided that they would perform _Phantom of the Opera._ It was perfect, because it had romance, singing, and all that other girly crap for the girls, and it had sword fights, secret trap doors and other random hidden traps and 'cool shit' for the 'tough-ass guys' as they put it.

And thus began the world's worst mangling of the play/musical/movie that was formerly known as _The Phantom of the Opera._ In fact, as it was so mangled beyond recognition, and only lasting ten minutes, the authoress will not go over it. Mostly because she has no earthly idea of what to do, but that's beside the point. **(An: Heh heh! ^_^; )**

All of the adults were laughing in their seats because of the show. Only Sasori seemed to be critical of the concert, though it could have been that he was only paying attention to the puppettering.

"Can we keep it?" Kankuro asked when the performers were done with their standing ovation that nobody had asked for.

"What are you, crazy? Of course you can't have it. This was just for practice, since I haven't been able to teach you the puppet arts lately," Sasori said, scoffing. But when he saw the deeply disappointed look on Kankuro's face, he amended that Kankuro could keep it for a few weeks to 'improve his skills'. When he heard this, Deidara started calling Sasori a 'big softie', which prompted Sasori to call him a girl and make him cry. It also didn't help that Hidan heard Deidara being called a girl, either.

By the time Kakuzu, Kisame and Itachi were able to pull Deidara away from Hidan, with the help of a reluctant Sasori, everyone else were in the living room preparing for what fun activities they were going to do next.

"…They seem to have left us…" Itachi said, looking around the now empty room.

"I heard a few of them laughing when Deidara-chan (Deidara: Hey!) tried to rip Hidan's head off," Kisame said rather cheerfully.

"I'll f***in kill you, bitch!" Hidan shouted from where Kakuzu was reattaching his head.

"Not if you want me to just keep your head, and leave your body here, you won't," Kakuzu warned.

"…Because of your need for violence and revenge over the stupidest of things, we are now going to be late to get back to the monastery. I hate being late, and I hate keeping other people waiting. I could have sworn that you knew this by now, but what do you know; you don't. Brat," Sasori said scathingly to Deidara, who was crouched on the floor holding his head where someone (three guesses who) had hit him.

"We should go ahead and leave, then. Pein's alone in the monastery, albeit Zetsu and Tobi are there too. But Zetsu is probably keeping an eye on Tobi, so they won't be much company," Itachi said in his calm voice.

"Yeah. I mean, it might be different if Konan was over in the convent, but she's not even there. You don't think her and Pein actually had a fight, and that's why she's not with us anymore, do you?" Kisame asked, looking around at everybody.

"Who cares about that? If that bastard of a leader's there alone, he might try to steal away some of my loyal Jashinists! If I had known this would have happened, then I wouldn't have come!" Hidan said angrily.

"Well, it should have been obvious. All of us were coming here, and the only one's not were Zetsu, Tobi, and of course Pein. Frankly, we were wondering how long it would take you to figure this out; that said, I believe we all owe Deidara now," Kakuzu said, very regretfully, as he pulled out his wallet. "Oh, silly me, I forgot that I don't carry money on me; guess I can't pay you," Kakuzu said in a very cheerful manner.

"Nobody really expected you to pay up, un," Deidara said from where he was counting his new money.

Sasori had been looking at the puppet stage while this was happening, in deep thought. Finally, he sighed and turned to the rest. "We should go now, before we're too late."

"Huh? But Sasori-no-danna, what about your puppet stage, un?" Deidara asked when he saw that Sasori was headed away from the stage and towards the door.

"I'm leaving it here for a bit. If the younger brat wants to practice with it, let him. Hopefully, it will do him some good," Sasori replied while leaving without waiting for the others. Because we all know how much he hates waiting.

Soon after, the rest of the Akatsuki followed Sasori out of the house, with a few grumbling about how they had lost money.

Meanwhile, in the other room where everyone else was, they were deciding what to sing next.

"Why do we have to sing again?" Shikamaru asked from where he was laying on the floor. Choji was sitting next to him, eating, and everyone else were scattered around the room in various levels of relaxation, with stick-up-his-ass Sasuke being on one side of the spectrum and Shikamaru being on the other.

(Sasuke: You really hate me lately, don't you?

Me: No, I just like making fun of you! *cheerfulhappysmile* Don't worry, it's not just you; I like making fun of a lot of people! *cheerfulhappysmile*

Sasuke: …*twitch*)

"We're singing because it's fun and you're singing because we're making you!" Ino said cheerfully while making him sit up. Forcefully. She's allowed to do so, since she, Shikamaru and Choji are always grouped together.

"What I want to know is how come Father Sasuke doesn't have to sing with us?" Naruto asked, pouting with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Because I actually have a sense of dignity. And I'm not being forced to do this, either," Sasuke said imperiously from the couch, where he was sitting next to Karin who looked pleased. "And before you say something along the lines of 'we could make you', you should remember; who is it that gives you allowance? Who buys the ramen around here?"

With Sasuke's threat, Naruto quickly shut his mouth. This made a few people, such as Ino and Kiba, cheer happily.

"At any rate," Sakura said, trying to bring the conversation back on topic, "we should decide what to sing next. Any suggestions?"

A few people raised their hands and waited in a patient manner (read: shouting 'pick me, pick me!' and jumping up and down, shoving others out of the way). Sakura looked around in her usual calm manner (read: sweat-dropping, flinching away from the loud noise) and picked her choice rationally (read: used eeney-meany-miney-moe while flinching away in terror and screaming).

The eventual choice was _Edelweiss_, suggested by Shino. Yeah, it threw everyone else through a loop, too.

"_**Edelweiss, Edelweiss,**_" the teenagers started singing, some grumbling that they have to do 'such a sissy song', but slowly getting into it.

"_**Ev'ry morning you greet me  
Small and white  
Clean and bright  
You look happy to meet me**_"

Blossom of snow  
May you bloom and grow  
Bloom and grow forever  
Edelweiss, edelweiss  
Bless my homeland forever

After their beautiful singing, the adults gave an actual, willing standing ovation. Sasuke even looked a bit proud, but that could have been a trick of the light. Yeah. At any rate, it was a very beautiful song that was sung with such angelic voices of Hinata, Tenten, Kankuro and Shino. Yes, even Kankuro and Shino. What? It was a very touching and moving moment.

"So, what, a _plant's_ supposed to protect some big important country? What's up with that?" Kiba asked.

Or, at least, it was a moving moment. **(An: *glares*)**

Several people were now involved in a conversation ranging from the merits of certain types of plants to military strategies on the advantages of certain types of plants.

…_Admittedly, there was some doubt as to whether Sasuke was their father, at least in the case of Hinata, definitely, along with Shino, Lee, and Ino, but that's gone now. They're arguing the most about military strategy. I didn't even think that Hinata would have such ideas…_ Sakura thought, a little faded out, while watching the teenagers, particularly Hinata when she talked about using poisonous plants as decorations in enemy houses and bases, thus poisoning the air and completely eradicating the enemy.

_I think we should go purify ourselves after hearing such talk; no doubt we're headed to Hell just for listening._

_What about them?_ Inner Sakura asked, also feeling slightly more dirty than usual.

Sakura contemplated this for a bit, before replying _…We may have to almost-drown them, but I'm sure it will do the trick. Holy water can do wonders._

"Hey, Sakura-chan, what are you talking to yourself about?" Naruto asked when he noticed that she had the far-away, lights-on-nobody's-home look that she usually had when talking to her Inner self, along with an extremely upset look.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at what Naruto had said, but didn't pursue it further. It was Naruto who had said it, after all, and even if what he had said is true it didn't really matter if his children's new governess had schizophrenia or split and slash or multiple personality order, since that was her business and not his. He'd had worse people to come be the teenagers' governess before, that was for sure.

"We were wondering if drowning you would be enough, but we're still debating," Sakura said from where she was against the wall, looking out over everybody.

…Scratch that, maybe he _did_ have to be worried after all…

On a different note, Kakashi came into the room after a few people had moved away from Sakura, who was stuttering, trying to explain herself better.

"Hello, all!" Kakashi said, his one visible eye crinkling into the only tell-tale sign that he was even showing expression, in this case, happiness. That or an evil grin that belied that he was planning on killing everyone in the room and then taking over the world with his army of dogs that he specially bred for his moonlighting job. It was hard to tell, but since his next words were, "I have great news for everybody, and it involves my next career move!" it was probably…wait…that could go either way…let's just say it was the first one, shall we? **(*secretly crossing fingers*)**

"I have found a new musical act to use for the amateur vocalists' contest that's coming up next year!" Kakashi said joyfully. **(*let's out secretly held breath*)**

"Wait, next year?" Karin asked exasperatedly.

"Well, it's too late in the year for it now, and I'm going to need a year to convince them," Kakashi explained, sitting down on the couch next to Naruto.

"Why would you need to convince them? Are they that good that they're snobs?" Sasuke asked skeptically.

"Not really. They're your kids, and I thought that you might not have approved," Kakashi said matter-of-factly.

"What?!" Sasuke yelled.

* * *

**Well, there's that. Again, sorry it's been a while, but as I've said, I've been busy. I really hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review! Remember, pain in jaw+reviews=make me feel so much better! ^_^ Plus, I'll know how much you like it!**


	21. Contemplating important issues

**Look! I have actual paragraphs! It's a little short, but I'm happy with it! ^_^ **

**Disclaimer: Maya-chan2007 does not own Naruto or the Sound of Music. Quite frankly, seeing as she's about to go off to college, she really doesn't have the time, energy, want, or need to own it. XP**

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**

It took a while for Sasuke to calm down after Kakashi broke the news to him that he wanted to invariably prostitute his children out to sing for him. And yes, those were Sasuke's exact words. Or close enough to them, at least, according to Naruto. It also helped to calm Sasuke down when Karin took him over to the side of the room, where they talked in low murmurs, with her calming him down enough to where he could calmly, rationally, and without breaking anything (most likely Kakashi's face) explain that he did not in fact want his impressionable teenage children to participate in such an event. Kakashi did not take the rejection well.

After trying to explain that if Sasuke let his children enter the contest, and they won, then there would be a cash prize. Sasuke said no, noting that he already had enough cash around. Sakura noted that he was a 'stupid rich person', though she could have been bitter for the close, personal contact that Karin seemed to be having with Sasuke.

On that note, while Kakashi tried to persuade Sasuke, and Karin was keeping him calm with her arm wrapped around his, and whispering in his ear, the children started a conversation on who they liked best with their father.

"I don't know, I just don't really know Baroness Karin that well. If I had to choose someone to end up with Father Sasuke, I would have to say Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed from over in the corner of the room where they were situated. He nodded his head sagely, as if he had spoken the most important thing that he could possibly say.

"Yeah, I mean, look at her! She's all over Father! Why doesn't he push her away, or something?" Tenten replied, outraged at this indignation towards her beloved Father. "We don't even know the woman, and already she's draping herself over him!" Neji was beside her in an instant, soothing her by rubbing her arms with his hands, muttering things to her like, "She's not worth it," and "Don't worry about it."

"Totally! Even though Father and Sakura haven't been together that much, they make such the cutest pair, don't they?" Ino squealed in delight. Sakura was steadily turning redder and redder with each passing comment.

"That's all well and good, but are we actually giving this woman a chance?" Shino asked, so far the only one with an objective opinion. "Precisely as Tenten has pointed out, we don't know her. Is it really right for us to pass judgment like this?"

Pondering this for a bit, Kankuro said, "Oh, so then you didn't see her freak out when she saw that cockroach, and start yelling at Kin because we 'allow such vermin in the house?'"

There was a dead silence that settled over them as Shino was informed of this woman's hatred for bugs. There was no excuse for it, really. Nor was there any other way to handle it. The woman would have to be brought down. Shino started working with Shikamaru on specific plans, others putting in their own opinions on how to go about it, Sakura trying very hard to ignore them, when Hinata said something that made them stop.

"I-I'm not sure about S-Sakura or Baroness Karin, b-but Mother was really nice…" Hinata said in a soft voice, softer than what was usually normal for her. This statement caused several, if not most or all, of the teenagers to look up at her, while pondering on this thought.

"True, Mother was awesome. I mean, come on, she picked us up from off the street, didn't she?" Temari said. Everyone (except for Sakura and Tenten) nodded at this.

"No, she didn't get me. Father's the one who found me…" Tenten said in a faraway voice that was so sugary sweet that it induced cavities.

"Is that why you like your father so much?" Sakura asked after surreptitiously flossing her teeth very quickly. Who knows, Sister Shizune could have made cavities a sin for all anyone knew.

"Well, yeah! And, Father's the coolest Father that anyone could ever ask for!" Tenten said with the same awe in her voice that she had used earlier. Quite a few others started trying to clean their teeth. This is how the other adults found them, actually, when they went to check up on how everyone was doing.

"…I'm not sure exactly what it is that you did while I was gone, Miss Sakura, but you've got my children flossing and taking care of their dental hygiene. Without anyone having to say anything," Sasuke said, flabbergasted that his children are actually somewhat responsible. If only he knew.

"Oh, come on, Sasuke-kun," Karin said with a slight pout to her admittedly pretty face, "Surely your kids aren't that bad."

Sasuke smirked a bit, sharing a look with Sakura that made her heart skip a beat, and to her embarrassment made a blush appear on her face. Turning to Karin, Sasuke replied, "You're right; I guess Kakashi's just got me a little tense, is all." He had said this with a smile to Karin that made Sakura's heart tighten uncomfortably.

"W-well, we should go a-and train, now, kids," Sakura stammered out while looking away quickly and unconsciously wringing her hands together. The kids looked at each other before nodding and heading towards the door, making chatter to try and not make Sakura feel upset with her obvious heart-break.

**

* * *

Karin and Sasuke were lounging on the couch together, enjoying the relative peace and quiet as Kakashi was with his dogs coming up with a new method to try and convince Sasuke to lend out his kids, and Sakura was out with the teenagers training.**

Leaning in, Karin asked Sasuke, "Sasuke-kun, when are we going to tell them about us?" Sasuke looked at her, but looked straight ahead quickly.

"Of course not. They don't need to know, at least not yet," Sasuke said in his usual taciturn way.

"But, we _are_ going to tell them, right?" Karin asked in a wheedling voice. She was tired of having to keep her very special relationship with Sasuke a secret; not that she wasn't happy, but she felt that it was past time to be keeping their bond a secret. She was damn proud of what they had, and if he wasn't happy too, then all of her hard work would be for naught.

Sighing, Sasuke ran his hand through his hair before turning to give Karin one of his rare smiles. "Of course we'll tell them; don't worry so much about me, Karin."

Smiling contentedly to herself, Karin leant back into the couch. What did she care if she had to wait for a little bit longer? She had her man, and nothing was going to change that.

**

* * *

Outside, Sakura was overseeing the teenagers in their training and helping when necessary such as when she had to break Naruto out of a genjutsu that he had set off accidentally.**

"Geez, I always fall for that…" Naruto said, sulking and thinking about his many numerous attempts at the obstacle course that Sakura had set up. It was always the genjutsu-pit that he had trouble with and got stuck at.

"Well, then we just need to fix that, don't we?" Sakura asked cheerfully, back to feeling like herself as soon as she was in her element—pushing the kids through a rigorous training course and helping as she saw fit.

"You mean like how you're fixing the thing between Father Sasuke-teme and you?" Naruto asked shrewdly, pointing out that she's not really one to talk.

"Th-that's something else entirely!" Sakura stammered, blushing quite a bit. "B-besides, there's nothing happening between me and him, a-and it's not like there would have been, either!"

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that honey; whatever helps you sleep at night," Tenten said while walking over with Neji and Lee to stand next to Sakura. All three had already made it through the training course that day, so they were watching and waiting for everyone else to get finished.

Sakura glared at the lot of them, before changing her look to one of 'complete innocence'.

"Hey, Lee?" Sakura asked in as 'innocent' a voice as she could pull off, considering the circumstances. "On average, how many laps do you think everyone runs for their training?"

The ones gathered had a vague idea of what might happen, but they couldn't stop Lee in time.

"On average, we run about fifteen laps around the entire estate, though I could run more!" Lee boasted with pride…and youth.

Still smiling, Sakura turned to the growing crowd of teenagers who were looking apprehensive on what would happen to them next.

"Double what he just said. As for you, Lee, you can triple it if you want," Sakura said with the smile still on her face.

Groaning in protest (they had just finished the obstacle course!) the teenagers started on their laps.

This left Sakura alone in her thoughts.

First, the matter with Karin. She didn't seem like a bad person….and as much as Sakura hated to admit it, she knew that Sasuke-no, Captain Sasuke, and Baroness Karin would make a good couple. Just look at how much they already seem to care for each other? That, and they obviously have history together, and not in the scholastic sense.

Whereas Sakura only really knew him for a day before he left for three months. True, he's back now, but Sasuke-no, Captain Sasuke, has only eyes for Karin-no, Baroness Karin.

Sakura couldn't even really _have_ a relationship with Captain Sasuke (yes, she got it right that time!). She's a nun. A nun-in-training, no less. This wasn't the time to get caught up in relationship issues.

Sakura should have already been made a full-fledged nun by now. She came to the convent the same time as Shizune and Lady Tsunade-shishou, but she was still a novice. Shizune, no Sister Shizune, was already one of the most respected, higher-up nuns. Tsunade, no, Reverend Mother was already, well, the Reverend Mother! And what was Sakura? Just plain Sakura, with the wide forehead, as Sister Ami was so kind to point out.

_Look! You're already starting to learn kindness and forgiveness! Just wait; we can become a nun easily!_

Ah, yes. Another thing that made life difficult, at least as far as getting a date or becoming a nun is concerned. Having an Inner Self talk to you all the time doesn't really help that much, especially when you're supposed to stay sane, or at least have the appearance of being sane.

_Hey, you talk to me, too. And I thought that you weren't supposed to have a relationship as a nun?_

Sakura wasn't even sure if she wanted to be a nun anymore. The convent was pretty much all she knew, except for the few years of traveling that she did with Sister Shizune and the Reverend Mother before they became such. Those years were some of the worst, but at least she wasn't alone anymore. She didn't even know what she would do with herself if she was to leave the convent. It's not like she was really qualified for anything, or even had the post-secondary education required.

Not to say that Sakura was stupid. On the contrary, she was actually quite bright, and could probably learn what she needed on the fly.

But that would be the same as quitting, and Sakura was not a quitter. She was also in Lady Tsunade's debt, since she took her in so many years ago, and gave her a purpose. True, being a medical ninja in a convent wasn't much of a purpose, since there wasn't much need for any ninja in a convent, but at least she could use her medical prowess to help the people in the nearby village, and on occasion in the convent as well.

So, all Sakura would have to do is persevere. She wouldn't be in this job forever-although secretly she wished that she could be; the teenagers just grow on you-she would eventually be able to go back to the convent. And when that happens, Sakura would put her all into it. She would become the best nun that she could be, so that way she could make Lady Tsuna-the Reverend Mother proud of her.

_But don't you remember when Shishou became Reverend Mother? She became someone she's not, fulfilled all of the expectations of others, and then finally snapped under the pressure and went back to her usual self._

Sakura did remember. Tsunade had shut herself inside to escape the pain of what was her life from before, carefully avoided all things that could remind her, but eventually succumbed when she accidentally had a bit of sacramental wine.

True, she wasn't the strictly devout Reverend Mother that she was before, but she still knew when and where to take responsibility for herself. It was this reason that kept her the Reverend Mother seat; otherwise she would have had to step down.

Before Sakura could contemplate any further, she heard Kin in the background calling for everyone to come to dinner.

_I guess I should stop thinking about this for now,_ Sakura thought to herself. _There's always time later._

**

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****Well, there's that. I'm going to keep this short, so please review! But seriously, people, I only had, what, two or three reviews last chapter? To the one's that reviewed, thank you, I know that you at least like my story. To everyone else, is it really so hard to just push the darn button and say 'I liked it', 'it was funny', or 'it sucked'? =_=**


	22. Visiting a friend

…**Annnnndddd! I'm back! Yay! And guess what? I've started college! That's why I've been so late with updating!**

**Yeah, I know the exclamation marks are annoying, but I was hoping that it would make telling you all about the lateness easier. Did it work?**

**Disclaimer: Maya-chan2007 does not own Naruto or the Sound of Music. Instead, she is currently in college, typing on her laptop that will spontaneously delete everything she's written so far, or will change the paragraph format on her, while her roommate and her roommate's boyfriend are watching TV, as they do every time her roommate's boyfriend comes over, which is pretty much every weekend. But I don't care, really, he's nice enough. Okay, on with the story…**

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A week after Sasuke arrived back at home, along with his new girlfriend, Baroness Karin, it was that time in the school year for the teenagers to return back to their daily schedule of classes. This knowledge was met by several groans, and one attempt to 'skip town for a while' by Naruto, who was only stopped when he saw the hurt look that suddenly crossed Hinata's face when he mentioned his plans.

Or, it could have been the look that not only Sakura, but also Sasuke sent him when he announced his plans. That definitely could have been it, especially since even on their own, Sakura and Sasuke's death glares of doom spell out certain, well, doom. However, they were both together on this front, united against one cause, all for one and one for-

**(Naruto: Oh come on, dattebayo! They get it already!**

**Me: Sorry, I've just had a long day and my roommate's grumbling behind me while doing her Spanish homework. And later, we're going to watch **_**The Office.**_

**Naruto: What's that got to do with anything?**

**Me: Nothing, really. But remember-Long. Day. And it's not over yet, either. I still have so much to do. Think of it as venting stress.**

**Naruto: And you're using me to vent on, dattebayo?**

**Me: Believe it.**

**Naruto: ………)**

Anyway, Naruto got the Death Glare of Doom, extra chores as a punishment, and then everyone went to sleep to get ready for the next day of school. Which is where they were now, probably scaring their teachers and fellow students crazy. Spending practically a full day goofing off, and not being able to get away with it because they're 'special elite' teenagers, such as how Neji keeps proclaiming himself and Hinata, and by default the rest of the teenagers as well, as being.

Leaving Sakura all by herself in the mansion, with nobody else there except for busy*cough*yeah right*cough* servants, Kakashi who had gone off who knows where, and a lovey-dovey Karin and Sasuke. Okay, so the lovey-dovey part was Karin, but still. Sasuke didn't do anything to stop her advances.

Needless to say, Sakura was feeling a bit claustrophobic surrounded by their happy air that constantly surrounded the couple. It also didn't make her feel that happy when she thought about _why_ she was feeling unhappy. This didn't make her standing as a nun-in-training any easier, especially since she would have to be giving these emotions and relationships up when she became an actual nun.

To take her mind off of her troubles, Sakura started thinking about a carefully neutral subject; the group of teenagers that she was charged with looking out for.

This was a safe topic to think about, definitely. Not only was it her job to look out for them, and be their governess, but they were also now some of her favorite people. Over the course of their three months together, relatively alone, they had told her all about themselves, from when their Mother, Sasuke's dead wife, had brought them into the mansion to live, but also what they remembered of their families before they were taken in.

Naruto was first, they said, and it made sense to Sakura; Sasuke had a special relationship with Naruto that he didn't share completely with the rest of his kids, though that may have been a good thing considering the way they were at each other's throats almost all the time.

Sakura wasn't sure if she believed him, though, when Naruto said that he was 'picked up' on his Mother's way to buy milk. Apparently, she didn't bring the milk back, and Sasuke was left with a son who already had a strange fetish for ramen, much like his own for tomatoes.

After Naruto came Gaara, Kankuro and Temari. Something about them wandering around on the streets after being kicked out of their house, and their Mother 'picking them up' not one week after 'picking up' Naruto.

After them came Kiba, Shikamaru and Choji, Shino, Ino and Lee in the same way, each being 'picked up', as they put it, by their Mother. There really was no other way to describe it, apparently, as that was what she would do; whenever their Mother would find an abandoned child on the street, she would take them back home with her and adopt them as her own. The only exception to this was Tenten, who was found by Sasuke.

From what Tenten had said Sakura could picture exactly what happened.

* * *

Sasuke had been walking through a rough part of town a few years ago. He had had business with one of the charity groups that were working there, and he had made a substantial donation on behalf of his family name. Now he was walking back home, down a street in the slums, towards the only bus stop that was in that part of town.

The street was practically deserted, the only people to be seen were those homeless who were on the sides of the road, huddled together in groups of two's and three's. There was litter strewn about everywhere, and quite a few of the buildings had graffiti on the sides. More than one of the lamp posts was broken, though there was still light to see.

Sasuke was walking calmly down the street, though he still kept an eye out for muggers and thieves. He could easily handle anyone if they tried to attack him; he wasn't the Captain of the special forces of the Konoha Military Force for nothing.

It was as Sasuke was passing by a darkened ally leading away from the street that he heard it; the sound of a group of thugs arguing loudly, with the yell of a child, echoing from the ally. Upon further investigation, Sasuke noticed that it was the group of thugs yelling at the child, a girl with brown, scraggly hair about the age of nine or ten. Sasuke would have been worried, if it weren't for the fact that the girl was yelling back as good as she was getting, and from where Sasuke was standing he could see that she had some hidden weapons on her if something bad happened.

Like, if the leader of the band of thugs decided to pull a gun on the girl, yelling 'give me the f***in' money already, bitch!'

Now, Sasuke is a very good ninja; his reflexes, skill, and his special eyes that are inherited by every member of the Uchiha have made him into the Captain of the Special Forces of the Konoha Military Force that he is-was-today. Because of this, Sasuke was able to disable the gun and have the thug leader drop his weapon before he could use it on the kid in front of him.

But also, the kid in front of him had already moved to attack the thug, and had already incapacitated him, before running away from the startled group of thugs and Sasuke.

Sasuke, being the quick-thinker that he is, thought to himself that one more kid in the house wasn't going to do anything, and at least this way he'll have chosen one. So, off Sasuke went after the little ragamuffin that had escaped down the dangerous ally.

Another thing about Sasuke as a ninja; he is very quick, so it didn't take him long to catch up to the girl. When he did, he made his offer to her; did she want to get off of the street, into the protective custody of the Uchiha household, have a warm bed to sleep in, good food to eat, and a family to take care of her, and her to them, in exchange for being on Sasuke's secret, Secret Forces team?

Obviously she accepted, and Tenten has been a Daddy's Girl for Sasuke ever since, training hard so that she could master every weapon thrown at her, or shot at her as the case may be, so that he would be proud.

* * *

It made Sakura gag slightly at how corny that was, but she understood Tenten's reasons and motivations. After all, she herself had done the very same thing, pretty much, when Tsunade had taken her in when she was a small child.

Sakura didn't remember her life before Tsunade and Shizune found her very well; the most she could remember was always being hungry, scared, and cold. When Tsunade found her, Sakura had decided that she would do anything she could for her to make up for her generosity. Sakura assumed that it was the same with Tenten and her love and devotion for her father for getting her off the streets.

_Again this train of thought keeps leading me back to Sasuke…_ Sakura moped inside, while on the outside she was the picture of concentration. To waste time while the teenagers were at school, she was scrubbing the floors of the mansion to clean them and take her mind off of some-unpleasant thoughts. Needless to say, it wasn't working.

Sighing, Sakura got up off her knees with her dishrag that she had been using and stood up. Stretching to get rid of some of the soreness, Sakura stood up fully and went towards Storage Closet #5. Sakura was used to the odd assortment of items strewn about the closet floor now, and paid no mind when she randomly tossed her rag somewhere into the abyss.

Turning around, Sakura almost ran into Sasuke who was passing in the hallway.

"O-oh! S-sorry, Captain, I didn't-" Sakura started, only to be interrupted.

"No, I wasn't paying attention. At any rate, why were you cleaning the front hall? You're supposed to watch after the children, that's your job," Sasuke said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, but they aren't here, they're at school so I have nothing to do," Sakura said, feeling like she was whining like a child. Suddenly, she got a great idea of how to waste her time while the little, precious brats were at school. "Hey, Captain, would it be alright if I went to town for a little bit while the kids are at school?"

Sasuke paused on his way down the hall, considering, before turning back to face her. "Okay, but be sure to be here when they get back; Naruto's going to be antsy when he gets back after having to stay seated for most of the day, and I'm not sure if he was force-fed his medication this morning…" Sasuke trailed off, internally looking back at the events of that morning to see if his ADHD son had had his medication. It had been Lee's turn that morning, and knowing Lee he had challenged Naruto to see if he could swallow it in three seconds, or he would do twenty push-ups and walk on his hands to school.

Still thinking, Sasuke turned back around and started walking in the direction he was originally going in, leaving Sakura looking at his back in slight confusion. Shrugging it off, Sakura skipped towards the door happily, mentally deciding where she would go.

* * *

When Sakura finally got to town (that crazy-slow old lady was still driving the bus), she decided to head towards the flower shop. Why the flower shop? She had no idea, but it was the first place she saw, and she could have sworn that she saw a familiar head of silver hair tending to some of the flowers inside…

Stepping into the shop, Sakura saw that she was right in her assumption; leaning against one of the flower displays, talking somewhat angrily into his cell phone, was Suigetsu. Just the person to spill her guts and insecurities too!

"-Yeah, yeah, I hear ya already! …I know, I know what to-! Look, yell at me all you want later, I have a customer. Yes, I can get customers. What do you mean that you're surprised that I can actually get a customer, and that I'm not running this shop into financial ruin? Look, just cause not _all_ of us are filthy rich doesn't mean that we can't earn money and not run our businesses into financial ruin. Jerk," Suigetsu muttered. With that, he snapped his phone closed and turned to face Sakura.

"Ah, just the person I was hoping to see!" Suigetsu said cheerfully, leaning forward against the cashier.

"What a coincidence, I was hoping to run into some one I knew, too." Sakura replied just as easily and happily. She wasn't sure exactly why, but Suigetsu had always reminded her of Naruto. "So, who was that you were talking to just now? Annoying rich girlfriend, or something?"

Suigetsu threw back his head at that and started laughing, extremely hard. Like, there were tears coming out of his eyes, he was laughing so hard. After about three minutes and twenty-two seconds (Sakura timed), Suigetsu stopped laughing enough to reply to her.

"No, that wasn't…wasn't my…girlfriend, that was my boss…Most stuck up person there could ever be," Suigetsu explained, wheezing a bit.

Sakura cocked her head to the side, with a confused expression on her face. "Then why are you working for her? Or is it a guy?"

This started Suigetsu to laughing again, though not as hard. "No, he's a guy. I guess I'm working for him because it's something to do, and it can be fun sometimes. But now, well," Suigetsu gestured to the flower shop that they were in; "it makes me wonder sometimes why I do work for him. Oh well, you don't want to listen to my sob story of a life; so tell me, what have you and the munchkin brats been up to since I last saw you?"

Sakura sighed before taking a deep breath to tell Suigetsu _all_ about Baroness Karin, Sasuke, and her own erratic feelings towards the whole thing.

"Well…"

* * *

**Okay, hopefully that was semi-long enough for you. It wasn't until about a quarter of the way that I realized, hey, I want to bring Suigetsu back in; I miss him. Again, hopefully you'll forgive me for the long wait, but like I said, college got in the way.**

**So, please review! I'm just going to tell you now, it's probably going to be this long before I update again, though hopefully I now have a bit of a rhythm of college life and how to spend my time by now and it may (**_**may**_**) not take as long. Also, just for kicks, I'm not going to update again until I get at least four reviews. Just four, measly reviews, telling me how good this story/chapter/plot line is, or how much the story/chapter/plot line sucks, I don't care. Just as long as I know what to do to make it better. With that being said, please review! ^_^**


	23. More Singing and New Plans

…**I'm not even going to try to explain myself for not updating in a little over a year. A mixture of laziness, I temporarily forgot about it, I wanted to finish up another fic of mine, and I've been having computer troubles, about three times since my last update to now, if I remember correctly. I actually would have updated about a week earlier, if it weren't for a virus that wouldn't let me on the internet or even on Microsoft Word to type some more on this. Do you know how hard it is to do college work without the internet, or even a computer? Oh, and my obsession with various fandoms. That too.**

**So, I don't think I can apologize enough right now, since I'm about to go to sleep. But anyways, to make up for that, here's a slightly long-ish chapter. Truthfully, I could have written more on it, but I wanted to go ahead and get this out. Also, I made a list of song requests that were given to me, and I used most of those in here. Admittedly, most of them are name only, but like I said, I wanted to finish this. Also, one request was to have Ino have Sakura sing something, but I wasn't able to fulfill that completely; you'll see what I mean, and I'll have her sing that song at another more appropriate time.**

**That being said, for the disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, the Sound of Music, or any songs used in this chapter. I'm not even too sure about owning the plot, so let's claim that as maybe.**

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* * *

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"…And so I've been left by myself, while the only reason for me even being able to leave the convent for a longer period of time than five hours is at school and my boss is flirting with his new girlfriend. I'm not even going to start on our other house guest, since I don't even know where he is, or what he's been doing ever since he came," Sakura spilled out, after a good hour of explaining things. Sakura didn't mind though, since she had her friend to complain to, and Suigetsu seemed more than happy to listen to Sakura's complaints.

"And of course, all you want is for people to pay attention to you," Suigetsu said with a straight face. Sakura thought about that, before sighing slightly while giving a wry grin.

"Yeah, not very nun-like of me, is it?" Sakura asked, slouching against the counter. Bad enough that she was steadily starting to fail at her mission, she was now whining about it to some guy who she pretty much only met a few months ago and has only seen him off and on sporadically during those couple of months. Yes, he was really nice, in a goofy kind of way, and Sakura counted him as one of her few friends, but still; it wasn't really fair to him.

"Eh, it's not that big of a deal. The whole reason why you're here is to fix your problem so you can be a good nun," Suigetsu said, waving Sakura's problems and insecurities away. "And besides, I'm in a similar situation myself, sort of."

Sakura perked up at this. If she could have a chance to help a friend in need, then maybe she wouldn't make too bad a nun.

"Really? What do you mean? I'm in training to be a nun, you know," Sakura said, leaning towards an amused Suigetsu conspiratorially, "you could tell me what's bothering you, and by rights of confession I can't tell anyone."

Suigetsu snorted, before pointing out that they weren't in a church, so confessional wouldn't really apply to them, especially since they were in a flower shop. As Suigetsu pointed this out, he seemed to remember, hey, yeah, I have a job, and went about the shop watering (admittedly slightly brownish) flowers.

Sakura scoffed at this, and said "It's the thought that counts." Suigetsu couldn't deny this, so he started his tale…

"So, long story short, I like a girl, but she's all over this other guy, my boss actually, and whenever we do talk she always hits me! I mean what the hell, man? Oh, wait; you're a nun, my bad…" Suigetsu trailed off, remembering that he technically was talking to a nun. Sort of. What, it totally counts.

"No, I totally understand what you mean, having someone you like but can't have," Sakura said wistfully.

"And you don't really have anyone that you can talk to about this," Suigetsu said. Suddenly, he perked up and started singing.

"_**Everybody listen all over the world; I got a story 'bout my favorite girl (Wait a minute)"**_ Suigetsu sang, gesturing around with his water pail.

Sakura got into the mood too, and sang along with him. "_**Oh, my baby sexy for sure; I had to have him when he walked through the door (Wait a minute).**_" Sakura remembered first meeting the Captain; anyone with eyes could see how handsome he was, and it was only because of her years of celibacy, jerky drunken guys who thought it would be fun to flirt with nuns, and her focus on doing her job right that kept her from reacting like how every other governess had in the past, which was drooling at the sight of him. Oh, and also Sakura's dignity, that helped her, too.

"_**She was 'bout to drive me insane! She come with drama while I'm giving her chains (Wait a minute)**_" Suigetsu told Sakura through song, a wonderful power that let anyone know about the circumstances that the singer had. From what Sakura could tell (admittedly, she was a bit rusty, having not communicated with anyone through song in a while; and no, the kids didn't count), Suigetsu had tried his hardest to show this girl that he liked that, well, he liked her, but the way she acted, specifically ignoring and spurning him, was starting to drive him crazy. Also, while he was trying to show her that he would do a lot for her, like go through the humiliation of getting fired from different jobs, she would only talk to him about the guy that that she liked, i.e., Suigetsu's mystery boss.

Yes, Sakura is just that good at deciphering hidden meanings from songs randomly sung to her. It's just a hidden talent, apparently.

Before Sakura could sing anymore she happened to glance at her watch, being the type of person who absolutely HAS to know what time it is at any given moment, and saw that it was time to get back to the mansion before the kids could come home. Oh the joys of helping teenagers with their homework when it's actually due sometime in the near future.

"Sorry Suigetsu, I have to leave now or I could be out of a job, too!" Sakura called as she raced out of the shop.

"'Be out of a job "too"'" Suigetsu asked thin air. "What's she mean by that?"

* * *

As Sakura was walking up the driveway to the mansion, happily content that she would beat the kids home, she took a moment to talk to herself. And not in the crazy way, either.

_Is it just me, or did we somehow borrow Naruto's power of foreshadowing?_

_Who knows,_ Inner Sakura answered. She had been bored the whole day, having nothing to do. However, with the impending coming back from school hustle and bustle from the kids when they got back, Inner Sakura was looking forward to a little bit more excitement than watching her Outer counterpart whine and moan to some shopkeeper.

_At any rate,_ Sakura said, or rather thought,_ I think we should take the high road for this job, don't you?_

_You mean make ourselves all high and mighty and send Baroness Karin off packing down the road?_

_It is such a good thing that I'm the one in charge of our body,_ Sakura sighed to herself. _I mean, we try to forget Sas-Captain Sasuke as best we can for our upcoming nun-hood, and focus entirely on the teenagers for however long we have left._

_Ah, the cowards' way out, is it?_

Sakura chose to ignore her Inner Self, and entered the mansion.

Where she was immediately glomped by Ino, Hinata (Ino dragged her, though she didn't mind), Naruto (another reason why Hinata didn't mind), Lee, and a few others who were eager to tell their Governess/New favorite person all about their day at school.

…_I thought we beat them home?_ Sakura thought, confused.

"What are you all doing home already?" Sakura asked, looking out at all thirteen of her charges. They were all spread out in the opening hall (a place that they enjoyed gathering, apparently) in different states of doing their homework, talking, or in general relaxing after the first day of school.

"What are you talking about, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, just as confused. "It's five o'clock already, school's been over for about two hours, where were you?"

Sakura paused as she digested that piece of information, before shouting out "Eeehhhhhhhh?"

Kankuro and Kiba choked back a laugh, before explaining that they must have forgotten about how they set her wristwatch off by a few hours, back before everyone had started getting along. Why it took Sakura this long to notice this, no one knew, and by then everyone involved had forgotten about said prank.

This started a few others off on pranks that they had either done or were planning on doing, and whether they had remembered to disable the pranks or not. As the list was getting higher, and more and more elaborate, Sakura was getting paler until finally Choji pointed out that Sakura was paler than Hinata.

A few of the teenagers didn't believe this, and it was as they were dragging a still petrified Sakura over to a blushing Hinata that Kakashi came in.

"Now, now, you're not trying to get rid of your governess by scaring her to death, are you?" Kakashi asked amusedly, secretly enjoying the startled expressions on his 'nieces and nephews' faces. "That may have worked before with Granny Chiyo, but you're starting to get unoriginal."

"Why does everyone have to keep reminding me about that?" Naruto muttered, not looking at anyone while crossing his arms with his face scrunched up.

"We would never get rid of Sakura!" Tenten shouted, indignant. True, at first she had wholeheartedly disapproved of their newest governess, but now Tenten felt that Sakura was like family, and absolutely NO ONE messed with her family.

"Well, I suppose we are half-scaring her to death," Gaara muttered. At this, a few of his siblings tried to make it up to Sakura and started apologizing profusely. This seemed to work, because all of a sudden, it seemed that Sakura started breathing again.

"I-gasp-am so glad-gasp-that we are friends now," Sakura said, color and feeling rushing back. _I was so close to going to meet my maker before I had even achieved nun-hood; those little brats, they can sure hold a grudge and boy if they aren't creative enough to get even…_ Sakura thought, remembering back to when she had played that 'game' with the little darlings.

"Well, that's nice," Kakashi said, getting their attention again. "But you know, Miss Sakura…"

"Oh, you don't have to call me 'miss'," Sakura insisted. To Sakura, that was a sign of respect, respect that she hadn't earned yet; she still had a long ways to go before she could be a nun, and after living most of her life in a convent, Sakura considered being a nun as a sign of ultimate respect; of course, her Lady Tsunade might have had something to do with that, too, but that's another story.

"Okay then, Sakura," Kakashi said, getting ready to try his new plan. He had spent the rest of the previous night and all of the morning coming up with a plan to make the Uchiha Thirteen his new singing group for the festival that was happening the following year. The timing was perfect, since he could scout out the competition at the festival this year and then get the group ready for next year.

"I'm really impressed with how all of you sound," Kakashi said. "I definitely wouldn't have thought that you could sound that wonderful, but you definitely proved me wrong."

"You really thought we sounded that great, Uncle Kakashi?" Naruto asked excitedly. Kiba, Lee, Kankuro (surprisingly), Ino, Tenten, Choji, and Shino (even more surprisingly) gathered around Kakashi wanting to hear more praise; they apparently decided to skip over the almost-insult that he had almost given them. Almost.

"Of course!" Kakashi agreed eagerly, already visualizing the festival, with his group getting first prize. "Your singing was the best that I've heard in quite a while. In fact, I wouldn't mind hearing you sing again, that is, if it's alright with your governess."

At this, the eager ones turned to Sakura, looks on their faces that clearly said that they wanted to show off again. Sakura, stunned to see their begging faces, stuttered out a reply that was taken for a yes. Sakura sighed, before actually relenting on the condition that they finish their homework first, and move to a more appropriate place to perform for their "uncle".

* * *

After an hour of helping with the teenagers' homework and signing in place of Sasuke any forms that needed to be filled out for school, the teenagers, Sakura, and Kakashi assembled in a spare drawing room for their little impromptu performance.

"So, who's going to go first?" Sakura asked the group after getting everyone to calm down (or as much as they could; admit it, this group of teenagers can't really be that calm. It's just asking the impossible.)

Immediately, Naruto raised his hand and shouted 'Pick me, pick me!' Sakura thought it best to just let him get it out of his system, as did everyone else, so going first Naruto did. However, he decided that he needed a little help with his song, a duet.

"Hey, Hinata-chan, will you sing this song with me?" Naruto asked, bending down to where Hinata was seated on the floor in front of the couch and unknowingly getting into her face. Hinata blushed three shades of red and nodded yes, not trusting herself to answer. Behind her, Ino and Tenten smirked to each other, hoping that FINALLY Naruto might get a clue. However, Naruto and Hinata ignored the two giggling girls and went to the center of the room, where the imaginary stage was.

Naruto led Hinata to the stage, hand in hand. As they were figuring out the timing of the song and which parts would be which, Naruto couldn't help but notice how soft Hinata's hand was in his, which he was for some reason noticing acutely.

"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata murmured to Naruto so that nobody else would hear. This got Naruto's attention, causing Hinata to giggle slightly at how cute Naruto's confused face was. "We should get ready to sing, now."

"You're right Hinata-chan; thanks for singing with me, by the way."

"I-it's my pleasure!" Hinata replied, just as the music was starting.

"_**I'm going to a mighty king, so enemies beware! I'm going to be the mane event, like no king was before!"**_ Naruto sang loudly, arm around Hinata's shoulders as he swayed back and forth with the music. Hinata didn't seem to mind though, and was slowly getting in the mood for it, too. When the music reached Zazu's part, Naruto ignored it completely, though every now and then he would cast glances over at Kankuro like he expected him to play the part. Kankuro in turn leveled a flat glare that said quite plainly, 'not on your life, fruitcake'.

"_**I'm brushing up on looking down; I'm working on my ROAR! Oh I just can't wait to be king!"**_ By now, Sasuke and Baroness Karin had wandered over, having heard something that sounded like a brutal fight involving a sledge hammer and a monkey. It turns out it was just Naruto singing off key.

"Oh? And just what are you going to be king of?" Sasuke asked with a cocky smirk, something that Sakura had noticed (in a totally not creepy way) that he seemed to have reserved especially for Naruto when he was being an idiot. Or, more so than usual at least.

"_**No one saying do this!**_" Naruto sang on, seeming to have found someone to have a sing-fight with.

"You're really going to make this into something?" Sasuke asked, cocking an eyebrow. Karin giggled, before taking the empty seat next to Sakura. Not that she minded, really, because Sakura was totally cool with the Captain's girlfriend sitting right next to her, really. And besides, Sakura had to give her support to Naruto, and Hinata, too, whose turn was up next.

"_**No one saying be there!"**_ Hinata sang out perfectly and angelically, making Naruto turn to beam his (in her opinion) perfect smile at her, glad to have someone with him in his (imaginary) fight with Sasuke.

The song-battle continued for a bit, until inevitably the song was over. By then, Sasuke had fully come into the room and was leaning against one of the walls, watching as everything took place around him. Every now and then he would make some comment or another to Naruto when he would try to sing-bash him, but other than that Sasuke stayed in the background and watched.

After Naruto and Hinata's duet, others decided that they wanted to show off too, leading Tenten to drag Neji up and sing A Whole New World with her; Kiba sang (surprisingly well) Best of Friends from Fox and the Hound with Akamaru accompanying him; Ino decided to sing A Whole New World from The Little Mermaid (for some reason, they were on a Disney binge; something about how that was the only type of movie that the school system they were in would allow, and they were playing the songs on the loudspeaker all day. Apparently, that was the senior's prank for the year, though Temari, who knew and was friends with the seniors, denied knowing anything); Lee got into the spirit of things, and chose to sing One Jump Ahead from Aladdin with much gusto.

Shortly after was when they figured out that they could guilt/blackmail/harass/nag others into doing weird songs, like Kankuro singing I've Got No Strings from Pinocchio, or to make them actually sing, like with Shino and The Circle of Life, Shikamaru and Hakuna Matada. It wouldn't even be talked about how they managed to get Gaara to sing Jack's Lament from Nightmare Before Christmas. Then again, Choji didn't need much urging to sing, which he did with You Got a Friend in Me.

Why the adults didn't say anything about this is because the teenagers were organized; while someone (usually Hinata) distracted the adults, the rest of the teenagers would start the guilt-trips/blackmail/harassment/nagging of everyone else into performing.

Finally Kakashi was ready to make himself known and to implement the next phase of his plan.

"Well, since everyone else has sung something already, how about their teacher sings something, too?" Kakashi asked, gesturing to Sakura. Before Sakura could even remotely think to say no, Ino started screeching about how Sakura absolutely _had_ to sing something!

Naruto picked up on the energy, along with Lee, and both crowded around Sakura saying that she should sing something, too.

"…After all, you did start us out with singing," Shino said in his usual taciturn way. "Besides, you sang very well when you first taught us."

"Well, if even Shino wants you to sing, then I guess you have no choice, huh?" Sasuke said, smirking over to Sakura. Sakura blushed slightly before giving in, but not before muttering something about if even her employer wants her to, then she didn't really have a choice.

"You should totally sing this song, it's perfect for you!" Ino gushed, shoving Sakura to their makeshift stage and handing her the 'microphone' that they had set up earlier which was actually a television remote.

In between feeling embarrassed to the point of a full-face blush and feeling slightly flattered that they liked her singing so much (ha! Take that, Sister Shizune!) Sakura felt something warm and fuzzy in her chest; something like this is how a family felt like, something that Sakura had never really known in her entire life.

She didn't even mind that much that Karin was snuggling up next to Sasuke, who had been convinced to sit next to her on the couch. That much.

"In keeping with the Disney songs that we've had so far, I've picked out the perfect one for Sakura!" Ino shouted triumphantly. "It's perfect, because it's just the thing that a nun would like, too!"

Sakura sweat-dropped at the last part, but started singing strong.

"_**A dream is a wish your heart makes, when you're fast asleep,**_" Sakura sang, eyes closed and hands clasped together. It had been a while since she had sang like this, since she had been in the convent it seemed. With her eyes closed and hands almost raised in prayer it felt to Sakura like she was singing solo's in the choir again. "_**In dreams you lose your heartaches; whatever you wish for, you keep. Have faith in your dreams and someday your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing the dream that you wish will come true…"**_

When the song was over, Sakura could only hear silence. Afraid that her singing was rusty from not having sung anything properly in a while, Sakura opened her eyes, prepared to apologize for her singing.

However, when she did open her eyes, she could see the eyes of everyone else on her, mouths open in shock.

_Ouch, must have been worse than I had thought…._ Sakura thought to herself.

"Was it that bad?" Sakura asked, cringing a bit at the thought.

"Th-that _bad?_" Naruto asked incredulously. "More like that _good!_ Where have you been hiding that great voice of yours?"

Immediately the rest of the teenagers crowded around Sakura, exclaiming praise as they went. Kakashi, still against the wall for the most part ignored, was stunned as well.

_Hmm, I could use her, too…_

Eventually, Sasuke came over to part the crowd of excitable teenagers and give their governess some air.

"I do have to admit, that was pretty good. Kakashi was right about you being a good singer," Sasuke said, looking Sakura right in the eye.

"Wait, what?" Sakura asked, looking back and forth between Kakashi and Sasuke. "How would you know something like that? We've only met for the first time a few days ago."

"Kakashi here is the one who contacted me about your convent," Sasuke clarified. "He told me about your Reverend Mother, and set it up so that you could come here and that I could have a new governess. Surely your Reverend Mother mentioned something like this before?"

"Well, now that you mention it, she did say something," Sakura trailed off, barely noticing the kids (Naruto, Lee, and Ino) hanging off of her. _So this is the man that knew Lady's Tsunade's friend… I wonder how it is that they knew each other. _

_No, what we should be wondering is if he knows where 'he' is; if so, we should tell Lady Tsunade…Right?_

While Sakura was having her little internal dilemma, Kakashi chuckled to himself so that no one could here. _Sorry, Sakura, but not even I know where the Master is right now; even if I did, I still couldn't tell you. In the meantime, though, you could help me out with something…_

Clapping suddenly, Kakashi strode forward to congratulate Sakura as well. "Well, that was definitely some performance."

"Th-thank you," Sakura replied, suddenly pulled out of her reverie. She blushed a bit at being complemented so much in such a short time. Sasuke, Sakura noticed out of the corner of her eye, suddenly looked a bit cautious, like he knew that Kakashi was up to something.

"In fact, it would be a shame to waste such a good voice," Kakashi led off, clearly building up to something. The teenagers were quiet by now, getting ready to enjoy the show, which for some reason they could tell involved them as well.

"Kakashi…" Sasuke said in a warning voice, already knowing where this was going.

"So, how about entering the music festival next year? Of course, that could also include our lovable kids here, as well; you could be both their singing teacher and their pillar of support, as it were. Would that be okay with you, Sasuke?"

"Of course not!" Sasuke objected. "I will not have my children and their governess paraded around like a band of savages who can carry a tune!"

"Aww, but Father-Sasuke~!" Naruto whined. "It would be so fun, datte_bayo!_ What if we wore costumes and masks? That way no one will know it's us!"

Kakashi liked this idea, claiming that it would increase the appeal for the act; he wasted no time telling Sasuke this, and after some cajoling, managed to gain his approval. When the teenagers heard this, they cheered at their good fortune for being able to finally show off and even compete in showing off. It was one of their many talents, after all.

Sakura knew that with Sasuke's new approval, things would start to get more hectic around there.

* * *

**Well, there's that. I hope the wait was worth it (though it probably wasn't.) I'm not going to get into a long explanation, since it's after midnight and I have class tomorrow/today. Admittedly, in the afternoon, but I still have to prepare for it. I tried to make this long-ish to make up for the wait (this time, I seriously mean it; NEVER AGAIN). So, if I still have any readers, please review! ^_^**


	24. The Party

**And it's another chapter! I bet you weren't thinking that I'd update again so quickly (shut up, two or so weeks is quick for me, considering my attention span); neither did I, to be honest. Well, here's the chapter, I hope you like it! ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the Sound of Music. Or any of the songs included in here. Or any of the TV shows; my roommate is a corruptible influence, is all I have to say XD**

* * *

Since that time, a few months had passed. August turned into September, which slowly crept into October; Halloween came and went, along with a string of pranks around the neighborhood. The popular opinion was that it was one of the kids from the Uchiha mansion, however with them having been remarkably well behaved (for the teenagers, that is) even the most hard-headed skeptic had to admit that there was a remote, one in ten thousand chance possibility with the full moon's influence (and the fact that it was around Halloween, too) that the Uchiha children might possibly be innocent.

However, after a particularly interesting prank that involved a watermelon, a kumquat, a monkey (don't ask), a pogo-stick, superglue, chili powder, glow sticks, and random soundtracks to 80's cartoon shows at an elderly lady's house (coincidentally, the same old lady who now drove the bus to town) combined with self-satisfied looks on Naruto's, Kiba's, and Kankuro's faces, Sakura couldn't help but wonder if they might have something to do with the pranks after all.

The fact that Suigetsu now worked at the local joke shop didn't help matters much, either.

At any rate, the holiday season ended soon and the social season for Konoha's elite was just beginning. This meant that for the first time in years, the Uchiha mansion would play host to some of the season's most interesting parties.

One of these parties was intended as a welcome-back-into-the-spotlight party for Sasuke who was going to be re-joining the social scene for the first time since his wife had died. Apparently, she loved these kinds of parties and the only reason why Sasuke even hosted them in the first place was for her. Ever since her death, Sasuke had even more reason to stop attending them, along with the fact that he wasn't very partial to them in the first place.

Another reason for this upcoming party was to announce the engagement between Captain Sasuke and Baroness Karin.

Sakura was blown over by this news, though luckily she hid it well. She always knew that she wouldn't be able to have a relationship with Sasuke, but now that he was officially taken it hit Sakura hard. As Sakura sat alone in her room while the children were 'congratulating their father and Baroness Karin on their upcoming engagement', she had a moment to think to herself in quiet. Or about as quiet as it got with an extra voice in one's head.

_So he's getting married…_

_Come on; we always knew we couldn't have him._

_Yeah, but it hurts to have it thrown in your face like this._

Sakura silently mused to herself for the better part of an hour, before she was called (quite loudly and just a little bit rudely) down to supper by one of the kids. By then, Sakura had decided; she was going to be happy for the captain and his new fiancé. She was going to try her best to support the two. After all, that was what Kami-sama wanted, right? It went against her principles to interfere with someone else's love like that, after all.

* * *

The night of the party was a huge success; many people came, from many different elite families from all around Konoha. The women were beautiful in their fancy dresses while the men were handsome in their tuxedoes. The music was at once lively and beautiful, majestic and joyful. The men, ever the perfect escorts, led their partners into many of the traditional dances that are always at such parties such as this. Truly, nothing could be more perfect; everyone was having the time of their lives.

Except for the Uchiha children, that is.

All of the activities that had been listed earlier were pretty much things that only stuffy adults would be interested in, as Ino explained. Even if the teenagers had been interested in such things, there was no opportunity for them to join in on the activities themselves, as the adults would usually shoo the teens out of their way and for some reason Sasuke didn't want them to socialize with the guests too much, either.

As he put it, they would most likely (they being the guests) bore his kids to death with all of their pretences and ulterior motives on top of their oppressive etiquette. Sakura thought he was protesting a little bit too much, but then again she didn't really know much about these high society types; besides, it's not like she could really go against her boss.

All that left for the kids is to stand outside and watch as the party went on, and watch the adults have looks of enjoyment on their faces. Whether this was real enjoyment or not they couldn't say, but it didn't really matter.

In the meantime, they could at least make their own comments about the guests.

"Ohh, isn't that dress that that lady over there's wearing gorgeous?" Ino gushed. Tenten and Hinata agreed with her, while Temari was looking over at the dancers.

"I don't see what's so great about some old lady's dress," Kankuro said from the side. He, Kiba, Chouji, Lee, and Shino were crouched down and playing with some left over candles from Halloween. Shikamaru was making shadow puppets for them for entertainment, and Naruto, Neji and Gaara were also looking out into the party as well. "They all look alike, after all.

This was the wrong thing to say, as immediately Ino and Tenten turned on their brother to give him a lecture on how the dresses are _not_ all the same, as that one over there is purple (Ino's favorite color) while that one over there is in a very different style that the other, though it is not a flattering style for that woman's figure. This comment came from Tenten of all people; apparently Ino watching Say Yes To The Dress and What Not To Wear rubbed off on her. Hinata giggled at this, and pointed out a dress that she liked, a billowy white one, and Naruto, slightly red in the face though it wasn't noticeable in the poor lighting, told her that it would look good on her.

At around this time, Gaara noticed that Temari wasn't with them anymore. Looking around, he noticed Temari walking a few feet off, before seemingly talking to an imaginary person, though she wasn't actually saying anything out loud.

"Temari," Gaara asked, drawing everyone's attention to their sister and eldest sibling, "what are you doing?" By now, Temari was moving about in a circle with her arms out as if they were around someone they couldn't see.

"Dancing," Temari replied as if it was the most obvious and natural thing in the world.

"Yeah, but with whom?" Kiba asked.

"Nobody, can't you tell?" Temari said back, sarcastically.

"But, you can't dance properly without a partner, can you?" Lee asked innocently. Temari paused for a minute, before dragging Shikamaru over to dance with her.

Shikamaru blushed at this and stammered out, "Te-Temari, I don't know how to dance to this song, troublesome woman," he added on as an afterthought.

Sakura had come to find her little demon's—I mean, charges—and came in at this time. After giggling a bit at the teenagers' antics (they were now starting to cheer on their dancing siblings, of which Naruto and Hinata and Tenten and Neji had joined, though it no longer looked like any kind of identifiable dance), she made her presence noticed by clearing her throat.

"Ah, Sakura-chan! I was wondering where you were, dattebayo! Did you come to watch me and Hinata-chan show everyone what real dancing is?" Naruto asked happily, still holding Hinata's hands; by now, the poor girl's face was beautifully stained with red.

"Well, that depends; when are you going to show me your dancing?" Sakura teased. Naruto (and quite a few of the others who were dancing as well) pouted at this, making Sakura laugh even more.

"Well then, why don't you show us how to dance?" Shino asked quietly. "If you're so good at it, of course."

"You did teach us how to sing, why not teach us how to dance as well?" Neji added.

Sakura was taken aback at first, having not really danced since she was even younger than they were, but she couldn't let them know that. _At least I know how to do a simple waltz…_

"Okay then," Sakura said, starting to feel a bit more confident in herself. "Is anyone going to volunteer to be my dancing partner?" Lee enthusiastically took up this job (or 'honor', as he said) and he and Sakura went to the designated make-shift dance floor.

"Okay, so do you know where to put your hands?" Sakura asked Lee. Lee blushed a little, but nodded in the positive. Sakura positioned their hands and then gave instructions for when and where to move their feet in time with the music that was flowing out of the dance hall.

Sakura and Lee were started on a simple waltz; they waltzed in little circles, in squares, and even tried to turn while their arms were still holding onto each other. However, there was a bit of a height difference so that part was more than just a bit awkward.

At around this time is when Sasuke decided to come and check up on his kids and their governess. Seeing what it was that Sakura and Lee were doing, Sasuke smirked before cutting in for Lee. Sakura didn't notice at first, until she turned around and saw Sasuke standing there.

"I thought you might want a dance partner that was actually your height," Sasuke said in explanation. "Also, this way they can see how real dancing is supposed to be like."

"No fair, Father Sasuke-teme!" Naruto pouted. "You stole my line!"

Ignoring him, Sasuke started in on the next dance with Sakura. Sakura was surprised (and just a little bit embarrassed) when Sasuke came to dance with her.

Sasuke and Sakura danced much more smoothly through the dance, twirling around to the music as if it came naturally to them. The teens were in awe (and even said a few aww's at how cute it was) at how gracefully they moved around. Sakura was getting caught up in the moment when she remembered her new vow to not interfere with the Captain's and Baroness Karin's relationship.

Sakura stumbled to a stop suddenly, and at Sasuke's questioning glance muttered, "Th-that's a-all that I-I remember of the d-dance."

Chouji came over and looked at Sakura, commenting that her face looked red. Sakura quickly brushed her hand against her cheek, and feeling that it was warm said that it was because of all the dancing that she had done, having not danced like that in years.

Before Sakura could be embarrassed any more than she already was, Baroness Karin came over having wondered where her fiancé and his children were.

"Come back to the dance, Sasuke-kun," Baroness Karin said, gently taking him by the hand. "You're neglecting your guests."

Sasuke sighed, before relenting. Sakura remembered suddenly that she and the teens had planned something for later that evening. She asked him if it was okay for them to show the guests. Sasuke glanced back and agreed before being pulled back to the dance by his fiancé.

* * *

Sasuke and Karin were mingling around the ballroom, talking politely with their guests. They had to answer the same questions over and over again, saying that they were doing fine, yes they were very happy with the engagement and thank you for asking, yes, the children are a handful but thanks to their new governess they are just perfect delights (Sasuke internally gagged at this, but had to save face in public), no, they hadn't decided where to go for a honeymoon, but they were sure that it would be somewhere marvelous (here Karin internally gagged slightly at this, but had to save face for Sasuke-kun), and of course that they hoped everyone would enjoy themselves at the party.

When Sasuke and Karin had finally made their rounds to everyone, they stopped over by Kakashi who was leaning against the far wall away from where everyone was dancing. Dosu, Kin, and Zaku were walking around serving the guests refreshments, and chatting every now and then with each other. As Sasuke passed them, he told them all to get back to work, he wasn't paying them to stand idly by and do nothing. The three grumbled before going back to serving the guests.

"At least someone's having fun at this thing," Sasuke said as he and Karin reached Kakashi.

"Then why do you throw these parties if they annoy you so much?" Kakashi asked reasonably, glancing at Sasuke from his book.

"Because I have no reason not to now," Sasuke grumbled silently. Karin and Kakashi still heard him, though; Karin giggled while Kakashi gave Sasuke a level look.

Sasuke didn't see this, though, since Sakura walked over to tell him that the teens were ready to say goodnight, and they wished to say it to everyone.

"Why would they want to say goodnight to everyone?" Sasuke asked. "They don't even know these people, and I remember distinctly hearing them talk bad about the guests when we were outside earlier."

Sakura blushed a bit, though barely noticeable except to the keen eyes of Karin, and gave as a response, "Well, really it's just a chance to show off their singing, if you don't mind."

Kakashi immediately closed his book and told Sasuke that this would be an excellent dress rehearsal for singing in front of a crowd. Luckily the masks had arrived the day before yesterday so it could be a real dress rehearsal for when they perform at the music festival next year. Karin was also intrigued, and secretly enjoyed listening to Shino sing (**Me: who wouldn't?**), so she also asked Sasuke to let them sing.

Since he was outnumbered Sasuke had no choice but to let them, as he pointed out. Sakura clapped her hands happily, smiling largely before running off to go and get the kids into their masks and tell the guests about their present.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention please," Sakura said loudly, gaining everyone's complete focus on her. "The Uchiha children would like to wish you all a pleasant goodnight, if you would please enter this way into the hall." With that, Sakura led the way.

Interested in what would happen, and looking forward to some good gossip material if the Uchiha teenagers really were well behaved or not, the guests followed Sakura into the hall.

Standing on the stairs that led to the upper floors, the teenagers were lined up according to age and height, with the youngest being at the top and the eldest in front.

All of a sudden, music came out of nowhere (though really it was from the musicians that were hired from the new music store where Suigetsu worked at now), and the teens started to sing.

"_**There's a sad sort of clanging in the clock in the hall, and the bells in the steeple, too. And up in the nursery there's an absurd little bird that's popping out to say cuckoo."**_

Here, Tenten, Ino, Chouji and Lee stepped away from the others to the side and started singing "_**Cuckoo! Cuckoo!**_" They kept this up for a bit as the others continued singing.

"_**Regretfully they tell us, but firmly they compel us to say goodbye!**_" The teenagers sang, starting to hit the high notes perfectly. They spread their arms out as if to encompass the crowd as they sang, "_**To you!**_"

Here, the teens split down the middle to stand on opposite sides of the staircase, before Temari, Neji, and Kankuro came down the stairs.

"_**So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good night!**_" With that, the three stood in front of the crowd, bowed to them and their father before marching (yes, marching, Sakura coached them) up the stairs and almost out of sight. Halfway up the stairs though, Temari turned around and sang prettily "_**I hate to go and leave this pretty sight.**_" Luckily the guests were so entertained by the music that they didn't notice Temari, or a few of the others, rolling their eyes at that part.

Lee, Shino and Gaara stepped up this time for the next part. The guests were a little surprised and weren't expecting much to come from this rag-tag group of singers, but when they opened their mouths and sang, the audience was taken aback by the beautifulness of their singing.

"_**So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen adieu,**_" the boys sung respectfully, also bowing to their guests before heading up the stairs. Lee was left in front of the audience when he sang, "_**Adieu! Adieu! To yieu and yieu and yieu!**_"Here, Lee bowed once more, but this time for Sasuke and Karin, Sakura, and Kakashi before heading back up the stairs. The rest of the teens moved down a few stairs as the song went on and more of their siblings left.

Naruto, Kiba and Chouji came forward this time with perfect smiles on their faces. Sakura, with her practiced eye for the children, noticed that they had small smirks on their faces mixed in with their perfect smiles. Sakura smiled to herself, too, knowing what they were going to say next.

"_**So long, farewell, au revoir auf wiedersehen!**_" Aswith their siblings earlier, Kiba and Chouji left for up the stairs while Naruto stayed behind.

"_**I'd like to stay and drink my first champagne! Yes?**_" Naruto asked Sasuke hopefully. Sasuke flatly refused, and Naruto started to whine about why he should be allowed to drink alcohol as it's a party before Sakura pushed him back towards the stairs. Naruto went sullenly, and the guests shared an amused chuckle at how just _darling_ the Uchiha children were. Luckily for them, the only ones who heard this comment were the children's father, his fiancé, and their 'uncle' and governess.

Shikamaru's turn was up next, though he walked lazily towards the front. The guests took it as his being tired and ready for bed; while they weren't wrong, they weren't exactly right, either.

"_**So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen goodbye,**_" Shikamaru sung out lazily, though still managing to sound just as good as his siblings before him. To Sasuke's and Sakura's delight, he didn't even manage a troublesome anywhere in his singing. "_**I leave, and heave a sigh and say good bye. Goodbye.**_" With that, Shikamaru made his way back up the stairs to where his siblings were waiting for him; Sakura could have sworn she heard a muttered 'troublesome', though it could have been her imagination.

Here, Ino and Tenten made their way gracefully down the stairs with Hinata trailing along behind them. Ino and Tenten started doing ballet-style dancing as they sang "_**We're glad to go, we cannot tell a lie. We flit, we float, we fleetly flee we fly!**_" The two girls curtsied for their guests and father before making their way up the stairs as well.

All that was left was Hinata, who stood their shyly before singing in a loud enough voice that the guests could hear easily (which many of them thought she wasn't capable of) "_**The sun has gone to bed and so must I.**_" After politely curtsying for the guests, Sasuke and Sakura, Hinata quickly made her way back to her siblings. The guests cooed at how cute she had been, and were immediately making up their minds that the Uchiha children were all well behaved little angels. Yeah, Sasuke, Karin, Sakura and Kakashi had to check themselves so that they didn't start laughing.

The teens weren't done yet, as when Hinata joined them again they all turned as one to sing in perfect harmony "_**So long~, farewell~, auf wiedersehen~ goodbye~. Goodbye~. Goodbye~. Goodbye~.**_" As the teens were singing this, they were subtly moving so that by the time they said their last goodbye they were already out of sight. The guests, who were still mesmerized by the singing sang back "_**Goodbye!**_" When they realized what they had done, the guests started looking around and asking each other if they had really just answered them. They were curious as to how they had suddenly done such a thing, and all together, too. Sasuke knew better, though, and turned to Kakashi with a raised brow.

"Genjutsu?" Sasuke questioned. Kakashi shrugged, and said something about how it was for the teenagers before being pulled back into his book. Sasuke shook his head, before turning back to his guests.

"We'll be starting dinner soon, if you would all please head over to the dining hall. Dosu, Kin and Zaku will show you where it is." Sasuke told the guests, and adding the last part on pointedly to his servants, who were still talking amongst themselves. After sharing a glance between each other, Zaku headed over to Sasuke while Dosu and Kin led the guests to the dining hall.

Before he reached Sasuke though, Karin was already asking Sakura to join herself, Sasuke and Kakashi for dinner.

"Oh, I just couldn't," Sakura tried to protest. "I need to see to the children…"

"I'm sure they can get to bed themselves," Kakashi joined in, also wanting to talk to Sakura about how well the choreography for the song had been. Sakura still seemed like she wanted to protest, before Sasuke also said that she should join them.

"Only if you want to, though," Sasuke said quickly, having realized how it might have sounded. Sakura blushed, before noticing that she wasn't exactly dressed for dinner.

"Oh, that's no matter," Karin said, waving her worries away. "I have some extra dresses that should fit you, since we're the same size. I'll let you borrow one." With that, Karin started pulling Sakura to her room to change in.

Back with Zaku and Sasuke, Zaku had finally made his way over to his master through the thick crowd.

"There's an extra guest here to see you," Zaku whispered so that Sasuke and Kakashi could here.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, wondering who could have come extra. If they had wanted to see him, they could have come some other time.

"Oh? Who is it?" Kakashi asked curiously. He glanced down at his book before sighing and deciding that he probably wouldn't get another chance to read it again that night and putting the book away.

"Kimimaru, sir," Zaku said stiffly, clearly not happy with the man he was talking about. Sasuke scowled at the news, and Kakashi looked over at Sasuke curiously, but with a hint of expectance in his look.

"What are you going to do about this, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke sighed, before saying "I'm going to talk to him," and walking over to where they could all see Kimimaru standing stiffly over by the far wall, looking at the group of people who were just talking about him.

"Kimimaru, what a surprise to see you here," Sasuke said calmly, reaching out to shake Kimimaru's offered hand. Kimimaru shook Sasuke's hand quickly, before whispering to Sasuke.

Kakashi and Zaku, who was just leaving, couldn't hear what was being said between the two men, but judging by the increasingly sour look on Sasuke's face, it wasn't anything good.

* * *

"Don't you think this dress would look just perfect on you?" Karin gushed, though Sakura had a feeling that it was forced. "It would match your hair perfectly."

"Do you think?" Sakura asked in an unsure tone of voice. She went over to the mirror that was in Karin's room, where they were, and held the dress in front of her. Sakura had to admit that it did look good on her, but she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

_It's not like I'm trying to catch anyone's attention,_ Sakura thought to herself as she held her hair up to see if it looked better up or down. _Any more_ Inner Sakura added in an unwanted manner.

"I just know it," Karin said, before slyly looking over at Sakura. "I'm sure Sasuke-kun would think the same thing, too."

Sakura choked on air at that, before turning quickly to look at Karin bewilderedly. "Wh-what are you talking about?"

Karin casually walked around the bed, where there were multiple dresses that had been tried on before choosing the one Sakura still held. She went to stand next to Sakura in the mirror, fixing her makeup as she said nonchalantly "Oh, just the way that it seems that he can't keep his eyes off of you."

Sakura was feeling very confused. Her heart kept alternating between beating very fast and freezing to a halt, her mind kept alternating between 'does that mean he likes me?' and 'Oh no, what if he likes me? That's a bad thing, right?' Sakura was starting to have a little trouble breathing now, and Karin finally took notice.

"You poor girl! Are you okay?" Karin asked in a caring manner, though with Sakura's tumultuous emotions she wasn't sure if Karin meant it or not. "Here, come sit on the bed." With that, Karin led Sakura to sit on the bed while Karin rubbed Sakura's arms in a soothing manner. "Now tell me, what's wrong?"

Sakura was starting to calm down now, and turned to Karin and said "Please tell me you're not serious! It-it's not possible for him to like me! He has you! A-and I'm just a-!" Here Sakura paused, gasping as she realized- I'm a nun. A nun in training, but a nun nonetheless (no pun intended). She shouldn't be feeling this way, and she shouldn't try to have the Captain-Sasuke! - to like her back. It was immoral of her, these feelings that she had. She had tried to deny them (not very well, but it's the thought that counts right?) but she couldn't anymore; she loved Sasuke, and it wasn't just some crush that she had tried to convince herself it was. No, it was much stronger than that, and that was what scared her.

"Sakura? Are you alright?" Karin asked in a worried voice. That was when Sakura noticed for the first time that she had been crying. Hurriedly wiping her tears away, Sakura stood up quickly, handed Karin her dress back and headed for the door. "Where are you going?"

Sakura paused at the door and turned back to Karin. "I have to go back to the convent," she said in a surprisingly calm voice; or, it would have been if it wasn't for the slight waver on the last word. "I fear I've over stayed my welcome." With that, Sakura headed out into the hall and towards her room.

Karin still sat in her room, shock of what had just happened on her face. Slowly, the shock turned into a smirk, and in a quiet voice Karin said to nobody in particular "Mission accomplished."

* * *

Sakura hurried to her room and started throwing all of her clothes into her suitcases. It took a few tries, and some of the precious time that Sakura wanted to use to _get out of there_ but she was finally able to do it.

Sakura was almost to the door of her room when she realized that she should probably leave a note explaining, instead of just leaving without letting anybody know anything. Hurrying over to her writing desk, Sakura pulled out a pad of paper and a pen, and began to write.

It took a few tries but Sakura was finally able to write legibly and clearly without looking like she was as upset as she really was. She wrote:

_Dear Captain Sasuke,_

_I'm sorry to tell you this, and in so short a note, but I'm afraid I can't stay here any longer. I miss the abbey dearly, and I believe that I have learned all that I needed to in the short amount of time that I have spent here._

_I'm afraid that this will have to be my leave of absence note, though I'm sure you won't have any problems finding a new governess, if you even need one now._

_Take care, and may Kami-sama bless you every day,_

_Sakura_

Sitting back to look over her note once more, Sakura nodded before hurrying to the door. When she opened to door to the hall, Sakura noticed that Kin was there as well.

_Perfect timing!_ Sakura thought, as she didn't have to give the note to any of the children, or worse Baroness Karin, or even worse Sasuke himself now.

"Kin! It's a good thing I found you here!" Sakura said rushing over to Kin. Kin stopped to look back at Sakura and noted with some sadness and surprise that she was dressed for traveling.

"Is something wrong, Sakura?" Kin asked politely, already starting to guess from the packed full suitcases that Sakura carried in both hands.

"Yes, I'm afraid that something's come up," Sakura said breathlessly, handing Kin the note. "Could you give this to the captain for me? After the party, perhaps? I really have to be going now, you see."

Kin took the note and nodded swiftly, before hesitating a little and asking Sakura "Aren't you going to at least say goodbye to the brats?"

Sakura shook her head quickly, already making her way down the hall. "I don't want to wake them, and I really must be going!"

With that, Sakura quickly exited the mansion and headed back to the road which would take her back to the abbey, without ever once looking back.

The only person to see her leave was a tall man with white stringy hair who looked at her with as much curiosity as one could with an emotionless face.

"Isn't she…?"

* * *

**And…done! Whoo! I'm finally starting to get things moving with this story once again! I'm glad I was able to update this so soon-ish. And with my laptop half-not working, too!**

**However, I'm not sure if I'll be able to update so quickly again. I'll try to, of course, but ever since I saw my midterms, I'm going to be focusing all of my time and energy (hopefully; old habits are hard to break, after all…) on school work. I'll just say this; double English, particularly when the two classes have almost nothing to do with each other, is a bitch. Seriously.**

**At any rate, please review! ^_^**


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